Statistics point to stabilisation of national dairy cow numbers

After more than a decade of growth, data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have pointed to a stabilisation in the Irish national dairy cow herd.

Presenting data from its Livestock Survey December 2023, Ireland’s national statistics office reported that there were 1.510 million dairy cows in Ireland. As detailed in table 1 below, this is a mere increase of 500 head when compared to the corresponding period in 2022.

Additionally, the slight growth in dairy cow numbers from 2022 to 2023 follows a much reduced level of growth between the 2021 and 2022 statistical years, when the national dairy cow herd increased by 5,000 head – moving from 1.505 million cows to 1.510 million cows.

What preceded the abovementioned changes in the national dairy cow herd was a rapid rate of expansion following the removal of milk quotas in 2015. Between December 2014 and December 2021, the Irish dairy cow herd grew by 377,600 head.

Table 1: Changes in dairy cow numbers (Source: CSO)

Decline in suckler cow numbers 

The CSO’s Livestock Survey December 2023 also presents data on the number of suckler cows present within Ireland, reporting 818,600 suckler cows as of December 2023. When compared to year earlier levels, that’s a reduction of 43,100 head. This is also the eight concurrent year in which suckler cow numbers have declined – falling by more than 234,000 head between December 2015 and December 2023.

Table 2: Changes in suckler (other) cow numbers (Source: CSO)

Other statistics of note

The CSO survey also reports on the total number of cattle within Ireland in December 2023 – classifying them by age and sex. Overall, it reported that total cattle numbers were down by 25,900 head (0.4%) to 6.526 million. However, cattle aged two years and over increased by 43,700 (+13%), with male cattle showing the largest increase (+18.9%) and female cattle rising 20,700 head.

Table 3: Number of cattle (Source CSO)