Poland’s cattle herd hits lowest level since 2016 amid sector reshaping

Poland’s cattle herd has declined to its smallest since 2016, highlighting ongoing structural changes in the country’s livestock industry, while pig and poultry numbers show signs of recovery and growth.

Poland’s cattle herd slipped to its smallest size since 2016 at the end of 2025, according to Statistics Poland, underscoring a broader reshaping of the country’s livestock sector. The agency said the cattle population fell 0.8% year on year to 6.14 million head, with declines across almost all age groups apart from calves. June data had pointed to a steeper drop, suggesting the annual picture remained weak even if the year-end contraction was modest.

The herd is also increasingly concentrated. Wielkopolskie, Mazowieckie and Podlaskie together held about 54% of all cattle, with Wielkopolskie alone accounting for roughly a fifth of the national total. Podlaskie remains especially important in dairy farming, even though Mazowieckie had the largest number of cows.

Pigs recovered after last year’s decline. Statistics Poland put the December herd at 9.23 million, up 1.6% on 2024, although the agency said this does not yet establish a lasting reversal in the sector’s long-term fall. Poultry remained the standout growth area: the chicken population reached 247.5 million, nearly 4.8 times the 1990 level, with Mazowieckie and Wielkopolskie accounting for almost half.

Slaughter data pointed in the same direction: fewer cattle processed, but more pigs.

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