The European Union’s cattle herd fell to a record low of 71.58 million head in 2025, according to data published by Eurostat, after declining 0.4% over the year and 9.7% over the past decade.
The reduction of 7.7 million cattle over the past decade represents, assuming an average carcass weight of around 300 kg, the equivalent of approximately 2.3 million tons of beef.
The steady contraction reflects a structural adjustment in the bloc’s production systems, reducing cattle availability across the 27 member states, although the pace of decline showed signs of slowing compared with previous years.
The total cow herd fell to 29.10 million head. The dairy cow herd declined 1.1% over the year to 19.02 million, accumulating a 12.2% drop since 2015 as higher milk output has been achieved with fewer cows.
By contrast, the beef cow herd showed greater resilience, remaining stable at 10.08 million head, although the 1.8% decline in replacement heifers limits the prospects for a recovery in the short term.
The age structure suggests that slaughter cattle supplies will remain tight throughout 2026. Although calf numbers edged up 0.3%, the 1-2 year-old category fell 1.2% year on year, taking the cumulative decline over the past decade to 11%.
The smaller number of young cattle destined for slaughter will keep the supply-demand balance tight, supporting live cattle prices both in the EU market and in the United Kingdom.
Eurostat data also show a geographical reshaping of European cattle production. While traditional producers in northwestern Europe such as France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium have seen their herds shrink by more than 15% over the past 10 years, Spain and Poland expanded their cattle inventories by 1.9% and 6.6%, respectively.
