New figures show that the number of sheeps in Wales has fallen to just 8.75m in 2024, whilst there were nearly 12m in the 1990s. According to the Welsh government’s latest Agricultural Survey, this is almost their lowest in more than a decade, and chickens now outnumber sheeps — something of a cultural shock as the stereotype of the Welsh countryside is that it is full of sheeps. The number of farmed birds in Wales for 2024 is almost 12 million, sheeps almost 9 million, cows about one million, and pigs about 28,000.
Dr Lisa Morgans, Royal Agricultural University senior animal welfare lecturer, said to the Guardian the following regarding this decline: “The decline in sheep in Wales is definitely quite stark…”Why that is, is multi-factorial. There was declining consumption of lamb and beef in the UK over the last couple of decades that has matched the decrease in people’s cooking times: the average time per household is down to 15 minutes a day. In the last few years, we have had Brexit, leading to a slow decrease in subsidies for farms which has changed the business landscape. That might have caused individual farmers to think about moving to different sectors. Then there was the Covid pandemic and the impact of that.”
Catherine Smith, chairwoman of Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales), said “Welsh flock numbers continue to trend lower than historical levels with current numbers still trending 8% below 2021 levels…The red meat sector in Wales is a key part of Wales’ foundational economy and ensuring critical mass in the sector is crucial.” She said that breeding ewes were down 1% since 2023, meaning fewer lambs would be born.
This decline has happened despite there being only about 3.1% of the population who does not eat lamb in Wales, ranking it one of the last UK regions among those analysed in a 2023 study. According to this survey, the percentage of vegans in Greater London is 6.8%, followed by 6.4% in the East of England, 6.2% in the West Midlands, 5.4% in Scotland, and 4.9% in the North East. The UK region with fewer vegans was the South West with 2.8%, followed by Wales with 3.1%.
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