July 4, 2022

Germany recorded lowest swine herd since 1990

As of May 3, 2022, 22.3 million pigs were raised in Germany, representing the lowest recorded swine herd since German unification in 1990 (30.8 million head), according to preliminary results from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

Compared to November 3, 2021, the swine herd fell by 6.2% or 1.48 million head. This is the third consecutive significant drop. Compared to May 3, 2021, the reduction is 9.8% or 2.42 million head.

By category, as of May 3, 2022, 10.3 million finishing pigs were raised, down 6.7% or 735,800 head from November 2021. The number of pigs under 50kg was also down significantly by 10.1% (-423,000 head) at 3.8 million head. The number of breeding sows decreased by 6.2% or 98,700 head compared to November 2021 to 1.5 million head.

There has also been a decrease in the number of pig farms since, as of May 3, 2022, there were 17,900 registered, 5.2% or 1,000 fewer farms than in November 2021. Compared to the previous year, the number of pig farms decreased by 9.6% (-1,900 farms).

Comparing the last ten years also shows decreasing trends in the number of pigs and farms.

Since 2012, the number of pigs has decreased by 20.8% (-5.8 million head), while the number of farms has decreased by 41% (-12,400 farms).

As the number of farms has fallen more sharply than the number of pigs, Germany's average swine herd had increased from 929 to 1,248 head per farm over the past ten years.

- Destatis