France livestock population: cows
France livestock population: cows stood at 6,615.2 thousand heads in 2025, according to Eurostat – crop production in EU standard humidity (apro_cpsh1), French agricultural statistics. It is one of the indicators in the Agriculture: annual production and accounts table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1959 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Agriculture: annual production and accounts table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cows2 | 6,615.2 | 6,754.66 | 6,904.37 | 7,020.49 | 7,204.4 | 7,379.39 | 7,505.13 | 7,649.9 | 7,751.31 | 7,880.1 | |
| Dairy cows | 2,984.21 | 3,075.18 | 3,164.6 | 3,230.86 | 3,322.03 | 3,405.68 | 3,490.81 | 3,554.23 | 3,596.84 | 3,637.02 | |
| Non-dairy (suckler) cows | 3,630.99 | 3,679.48 | 3,739.77 | 3,789.63 | 3,882.37 | 3,973.71 | 4,014.32 | 4,094.9 | 4,154.47 | 4,243.08 |
Understanding france livestock population: cows
Cows livestock population counts all female adult bovine animals that have calved at least once, serving as the primary foundation of herd reproduction. The tally includes both dairy-producing females and suckler beef cows, while excluding young heifers that have not yet given birth and all male cattle. Unlike broader adult categories that include bulls and finishing steers, this measure focuses exclusively on the maternal segment of the herd.
Interpreting these figures involves analyzing culling rates, reproductive longevity, and economic incentives influencing whether farmers retain breeding females or send them to slaughter. Revisions reflect updated administrative declarations from livestock tracking systems. Comparing this maternal count with juvenile cohorts reveals whether the national herd is expanding, contracting, or maintaining a steady demographic equilibrium.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the defining biological criterion for inclusion in this cow series?
- An animal must have given birth to at least one calf to be classified as a cow rather than a heifer.
- Does this cow population measure include animals no longer used for breeding?
- Active breeding females and culled cows awaiting final slaughter are both captured if present during the census.
- How does this series differ from the total cattle population count?
- It isolates adult maternal females, removing all bulls, steers, and juvenile calves from the calculation.