April 23, 2025

Ireland's cattle number plunged by over 400,000 head in last 24 months

The total number of cattle in Ireland has fallen by over 400,000 head in the past 24 months, according to the latest National Herd statistics from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

As of March 1, 2025, there were 3.84 million (3,835,568) beef-sired animals and 2.86 million (2,862,587) dairy-sired animals in the country, totalling just under 6.7 million (6,698,155) cattle.

On March 1, 2024, there were 3.9 million (3,905,240) beef-sired animals and three million (3,080,937) dairy-sired animals in Ireland, totalling just under 6.99 million (6,986,177) cattle.

On March 1, 2023, the total cattle population was 7.1 million (7,101,098), which was almost 115,000 (114,921) head above the same date of 2024 and 403,000 (402,943) head above March 2025.

On March 1, 2025, there were approximately 740,000 suckler cows and 1.58 million dairy cows.

Suckler cow numbers are down 93,000 head form March 1, 2023 and dairy cow numbers are down by over 65,000 head in that same time.

As of March 1, 2025, there were more beef-sired calves than dairy-sired calves. The number of beef-sired calves below three-months-of-age totalled just under 530,000 and the number of dairy-sired calves totalled just over 408,000 head. Of these dairy-sired calves, 148,000 are male and 260,000 are female.

There are a combination of factors that can be attributed to the drop-off in the national herd, including the reduced number of cows nationally as well as poor weather conditions in spring 2023 and 2024.

Strong live export demand for cattle as well as the aging profile of Irish farmers are also factors that may be attributing to the reduced national herd.

- Agriland