Number of animals killed

1.2 billion land animals are killed for meat each year in the UK.
Also, almost one billion fish and 4.4 trillion shellfish.

Land animals
- Chickens – 1,137,000,0001DEFRA. 2019a. Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2018. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom-2018
- Turkeys – 15,000,0001DEFRA. 2019a. Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2018. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom-2018
- Sheep and Lambs – 14,908,0001DEFRA. 2019a. Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2018. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom-2018
- Pigs – 10,476,0001DEFRA. 2019a. Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2018. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom-2018
- Cattle – 2,835,0001DEFRA. 2019a. Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2018. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom-2018
- Ducks – 14,500,0002FAOSTAT. 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA.
- Goose and guinea fowl – 644,0002FAOSTAT. 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA.
- Goats – 19,2963DEFRA. 2019b. Results of the 2018 FSA Survey into Slaughter Methods in England and Wales. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/778588/slaughter-method-survey-2018.pdf
- Horses – 20,5502FAOSTAT. 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA.
- Deer – 350,000 (estimate culled – no farmed deer stats available)
- Rabbits – 180,000,000 (EU – UK numbers not recorded)4European Union. 2017. Commercial Rabbit Farming in the European Union. http://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/overview_reports/act_getPDF.cfm?PDF_ID=1193.
Aquatic animals
- Wild Fish – 876,000,000 (does not include bycatch)5Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. 2012. Aquaculture statistics for the UK, with a focus on England and Wales 2012. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/405469/Aquaculture_Statistics_UK_2012.pdf
- Farmed Fish – 77,000,0006Mood, A., 2017. ‘Estimated numbers of individuals in aquaculture production of fish species’. Fishcount. Available at http://fishcount.org.uk/studydatascreens2/2017/numbers-of-farmed-fish-B0-2017.php?countrysort=United%2BKingdom%2Fsort2 [Accessed 28 April 2020].
- Shellfish – 4,394,000,000 ( does not include bycatch)5Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. 2012. Aquaculture statistics for the UK, with a focus on England and Wales 2012. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/405469/Aquaculture_Statistics_UK_2012.pdf
75 billion land animals are killed for meat and many trillions of fish and shellfish.

Land animals
- Chickens – 66,566,725,0001FAOstat, 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
- Turkeys – 663,605,0001FAOstat, 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
- Sheep and Lambs – 567,720,5701FAOstat, 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
- Pigs – 1,485,986,7561FAOstat, 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
- Cattle – 304,414,8581FAOstat, 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
- Ducks – 3,011,798,0001FAOstat, 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
- Goose and guinea fowl – 657,031,0001FAOstat, 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
- Goats – 464,598,2991FAOstat, 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
- Horses – 4,772,3561FAOstat, 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
- Rabbits – 971,951,0001FAOstat, 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
Aquatic animals
- Wild Fish – 97 to 2.74 trillion wild fish2Mood, A. and Brooke, P. 2010. Estimating the Number of Fish Caught in Global Fishing Each Year. http://fishcount.org.uk/published/std/fishcountstudy.pdf
- Farmed Fish – 0.45 to 1.3 trillion fish
- Shellfish – many trillions
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