Data / Number of chickens / United Kingdom

Number of chickens in United Kingdom

Number of chickens in the United Kingdom was 166,986,000 head in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. That is down 1.9% from 2023. That is the 33rd highest of 179 countries in 2024.

2024, head166,986,000
Change on 2023-1.9%
Rank33rd of 179Countries ranked
Series high180,000,0002021
Series low104,288,0001962

Next release: Thursday, 31 December 2026, estimated by Invokely from past publication dates (low confidence), not announced by the publisher. Release calendar

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Number of chickens in United Kingdom, 1961 to 2024

100M120M140M160M180M19611971198119912001201120241961: 108,646,000 head1962: 104,288,000 head1963: 107,076,000 head1964: 113,162,000 head1965: 112,348,000 head1966: 113,754,000 head1967: 120,401,000 head1968: 121,971,000 head1969: 120,849,000 head1970: 137,444,000 head1971: 133,168,000 head1972: 133,458,000 head1973: 136,164,000 head1974: 132,258,000 head1975: 130,471,000 head1976: 134,917,000 head1977: 123,900,000 head1978: 120,100,000 head1979: 122,000,000 head1980: 116,000,000 head1981: 109,900,000 head1982: 114,862,000 head1983: 112,234,000 head1984: 111,144,000 head1985: 110,315,000 head1986: 111,782,000 head1987: 126,840,000 head1988: 127,984,000 head1989: 120,351,000 head1990: 124,636,000 head1991: 127,241,000 head1992: 116,300,000 head1993: 122,900,000 head1994: 118,800,000 head1995: 119,500,000 head1996: 120,300,000 head1997: 150,400,000 head1998: 137,750,000 head1999: 140,300,000 head2000: 154,504,000 head2001: 163,876,000 head2002: 155,005,000 head2003: 165,324,000 head2004: 165,931,000 head2005: 160,528,000 head2006: 158,202,000 head2007: 157,513,000 head2008: 154,180,000 head2009: 159,288,000 head2010: 152,000,000 head2011: 151,000,000 head2012: 149,000,000 head2013: 152,000,000 head2014: 159,000,000 head2015: 157,000,000 head2016: 161,000,000 head2017: 171,000,000 head2018: 178,000,000 head2019: 176,000,000 head2020: 172,000,000 head2021: 180,000,000 head2022: 174,193,000 head2023: 170,233,000 head2024: 166,986,000 head
head. Source: FAOSTAT, Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Chickens, stocks, 1000 head (item 1057, element 5112). Retrieved 2026-10-12, published 2025-12-31.
All 64 values
Periodhead
2024166,986,000
2023170,233,000
2022174,193,000
2021180,000,000
2020172,000,000
2019176,000,000
2018178,000,000
2017171,000,000
2016161,000,000
2015157,000,000
2014159,000,000
2013152,000,000
2012149,000,000
2011151,000,000
2010152,000,000
2009159,288,000
2008154,180,000
2007157,513,000
2006158,202,000
2005160,528,000
2004165,931,000
2003165,324,000
2002155,005,000
2001163,876,000
2000154,504,000
1999140,300,000
1998137,750,000
1997150,400,000
1996120,300,000
1995119,500,000
1994118,800,000
1993122,900,000
1992116,300,000
1991127,241,000
1990124,636,000
1989120,351,000
1988127,984,000
1987126,840,000
1986111,782,000
1985110,315,000
1984111,144,000
1983112,234,000
1982114,862,000
1981109,900,000
1980116,000,000
1979122,000,000
1978120,100,000
1977123,900,000
1976134,917,000
1975130,471,000
1974132,258,000
1973136,164,000
1972133,458,000
1971133,168,000
1970137,444,000
1969120,849,000
1968121,971,000
1967120,401,000
1966113,754,000
1965112,348,000
1964113,162,000
1963107,076,000
1962104,288,000
1961108,646,000

Rankings

Definition

Number of chickens present in the country, laying hens and birds raised for meat alike, as published in FAOSTAT's crops and livestock products domain. FAO publishes thousands of birds; Invokely multiplies by 1,000.

A count on one day of the year, while broilers live a few weeks, so it understates the number of birds raised in a year. FAO fills gaps in national reporting with its own estimates and imputations, which are marked as estimated, and revises past years when countries send new figures.

How to cite

FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Chickens, stocks, 1000 head (item 1057, element 5112). Accessed on 2026-10-12. https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip Licence: CC-BY-4.0. FAO does not endorse Invokely or this use of the data.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2025). Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Chickens, stocks, 1000 head (item 1057, element 5112) (Number of chickens, United Kingdom, 1961 to 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip

MLA 9

Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Chickens, stocks, 1000 head (item 1057, element 5112), Number of chickens, United Kingdom, 1961 to 2024. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 31 Dec. 2025, https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/chicken-population/united-kingdom. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2025. Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Chickens, stocks, 1000 head (item 1057, element 5112). Number of chickens, United Kingdom, 1961 to 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/chicken-population/united-kingdom.

Harvard

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Chickens, stocks, 1000 head (item 1057, element 5112), Number of chickens, United Kingdom, 1961 to 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/en/chicken-population/united-kingdom (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{food_number_of_chickens_united_2024,
  author = {{Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}},
  title = {{Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Chickens, stocks, 1000 head (item 1057, element 5112): Number of chickens, United Kingdom, 1961 to 2024}},
  year = {2025},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/chicken-population/united-kingdom. Publisher attribution: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Chickens, stocks, 1000 head (item 1057, element 5112). Accessed on 2026-10-12. https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production\_Crops\_Livestock\_E\_All\_Data\_\%28Normalized\%29.zip Licence: CC-BY-4.0. FAO does not endorse Invokely or this use of the data.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
TI  - Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Chickens, stocks, 1000 head (item 1057, element 5112): Number of chickens, United Kingdom, 1961 to 2024
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/31
PB  - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip
L2  - https://invokely.ai/en/chicken-population/united-kingdom
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/en/chicken-population/united-kingdom.
N1  - Publisher attribution: FAO. 2025. FAOSTAT: Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Chickens, stocks, 1000 head (item 1057, element 5112). Accessed on 2026-10-12. https://bulks-faostat.fao.org/production/Production_Crops_Livestock_E_All_Data_%28Normalized%29.zip Licence: CC-BY-4.0. FAO does not endorse Invokely or this use of the data.
ER  -
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Questions

What is the number of chickens in United Kingdom?

Number of chickens in the United Kingdom was 166,986,000 head in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. That is down 1.9% from 2023. That is the 33rd highest of 179 countries in 2024.

Where does this figure come from?

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Production: Crops and livestock products (QCL): Chickens, stocks, 1000 head (item 1057, element 5112). Retrieved by Invokely on 2026-10-12.

What was the highest number of chickens in United Kingdom?

180,000,000 head in 2021, the highest value since 1961 in this series.

Number of chickens in other countries

Related statistics for United Kingdom

All statistics for United Kingdom | United Kingdom in figures