France livestock population: sheep
France livestock population: sheep stood at 6,695.6 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheep2 | 6,695.6 | 6,607 | 6,802 | 6,746 | 7,073 | 6,998.71 | 7,105 | 7,166 | 6,877 | 7,157 | |
| Ewes and ewe-lambs put to the ram | 4,912.24 | 4,862 | 4,970 | 4,985 | 5,196 | 5,124.91 | 5,329 | 5,405 | 5,213 | 5,355 | |
| Other sheep | 1,783.36 | 1,745 | 1,832 | 1,761 | 1,877 | 1,873.8 | 1,776 | 1,762 | 1,664 | 1,802 |
Understanding france livestock population: sheep
This series tallies the complete domestic head count of ovine animals residing on agricultural holdings, encompassing rams, ewes, wethers, and lambs irrespective of age or intended use. It differs from narrower sub-categories by capturing the entire biological pool of sheep rather than isolating specific productive cohorts like breeding females or animals reared for wool and meat. Enumeration occurs through annual census methods and administrative livestock registers managed by agricultural authorities.
Interpreting annual shifts requires accounting for biological cycles, seasonal slaughter schedules, and shifts in farming orientation toward meat versus wool production. Early head count figures undergo iterative revisions as administrative registers reconcile delayed farm declarations and veterinary updates. Comparing this aggregate directly with specialized herd subsets can obscure structural shifts within the flock, such as changes in the proportion of breeding ewes relative to market lambs. Long-term comparisons should account for structural breaks introduced by methodological updates to farm survey thresholds.
Frequently asked questions
- What animals are included in the total sheep population count?
- The count covers all ovine animals on farms, including rams, ewes, lambs, and wethers regardless of their specific agricultural purpose.
- How frequently is the sheep population survey conducted?
- Data collection takes place annually through structured farm surveys and administrative livestock registers.
- Why do early livestock estimates undergo subsequent revisions?
- Initial figures are updated once complete administrative returns and delayed farm declarations are fully processed and verified.