Number of animals killed

The number of animals killed in the UK per year for meat, fish or shellfish

1.2 billion land animals are killed for meat each year in the UK.

Also, almost one billion fish and 4.4 billion shellfish.

Land animals

  • Chickens – 1,174,000,0001DEFRA. 2021. Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2020. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1034693/AUK-2020-19nov21.pdf
  • Turkeys – 14,000,0001DEFRA. 2021. Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2020. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1034693/AUK-2020-19nov21.pdf
  • Sheep and Lambs – 14,985,0001DEFRA. 2021. Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2020. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1034693/AUK-2020-19nov21.pdf
  • Pigs – 10,693,0001DEFRA. 2021. Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2020. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1034693/AUK-2020-19nov21.pdf
  • Cattle – 2,854,0001DEFRA. 2021. Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2020. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1034693/AUK-2020-19nov21.pdf
  • Ducks and Geese – 11,000,0001DEFRA. 2021. Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2020. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1034693/AUK-2020-19nov21.pd
  • 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.pdf6Marine Management Organisation, 2016. UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2016. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/647482/UK_Sea_Fisheries_Statistics_2016_Full_report.pdf
  • Farmed Fish – 77,000,0007Mood, 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.pdf6Marine Management Organisation, 2016. UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2016. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/647482/UK_Sea_Fisheries_Statistics_2016_Full_report.pdf
References
  1. DEFRA. 2019a. Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2018. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom-2018
  2. FAOSTAT. 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
  3. DEFRA. 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
  4. European Union. 2017. Commercial Rabbit Farming in the European Union. http://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/overview_reports/act_getPDF.cfm?PDF_ID=1193
  5. Centre 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
  6. Marine Management Organisation, 2016. UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2016. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/647482/UK_Sea_Fisheries_Statistics_2016_Full_report.pdf
  7. Mood, 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].

The number of animals killed in the world for meat, fish or shellfish

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
References
  1. FAOstat, 2017. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA
  2. Mood, A. and Brooke, P. 2010. Estimating the Number of Fish Caught in Global Fishing Each Year.  http://fishcount.org.uk/published/std/fishcountstudy.pdf

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