France livestock population: goats
France livestock population: goats stood at 1,371.93 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 1960 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goats2 | 1,371.93 | 1,339 | 1,340 | 1,353 | 1,411 | 1,413.98 | 1,242 | 1,252 | 1,213 | 1,204 | |
| Breeding female goats | 1,157.39 | ||||||||||
| Other goats | 214.54 | 196 | 205 | 198 | 216 | 235.51 | 184 | 194 | 174 | 183 |
Understanding france livestock population: goats
This statistical series enumerates the aggregate live head count of caprine animals residing on agricultural holdings across the nation. The inventory captures every animal regardless of age, sex, or production purpose, grouping kids, castrated males, and mature breeding stock into a single tally. Unlike targeted subsets that isolate specific demographic segments, this measure offers a total inventory baseline for the entire domestic species. It differs from cattle or sheep metrics by focusing exclusively on animals adapted to rugged terrain and specialized forage systems.
Interpreting the series requires caution regarding biological cycles, as annual enumeration dates can coincide with birthing seasons, temporarily inflating numbers before culling phases occur. Revisions frequently happen when late survey returns from smaller holdings are integrated into preliminary totals. Because livestock numbers evolve slowly over multi-year cycles rather than shifting abruptly quarter-to-quarter, comparing the latest figures against twelve months prior provides a more reliable assessment of sector health than shorter intervals. Analysts should avoid equating head counts directly with meat or dairy output, as productivity per animal varies widely based on feeding regimes and genetic selection.
Frequently asked questions
- What animals are included in the goat livestock population count?
- The count includes all caprine animals residing on agricultural holdings, encompassing kids, females, and males regardless of age or production status.
- Why is an annual comparison better than shorter intervals for this series?
- Caprine herds follow biological reproduction cycles and seasonal culling patterns, making year-on-year comparisons more accurate than sequential period comparisons.
- Does this series measure the total volume of goat milk or meat produced?
- No, this metric counts physical animal heads rather than marketable commodities like milk or meat, which depend on separate productivity factors.