Key Points

• The long-term trend in declining cattle numbers continued with a 2.4% decrease in 2024 to 1.67 million cattle when compared with the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 five-year average. A decline in the numbers of calves and female beef cattle contributed to this decrease, set against a 1.6% increase in total female dairy cattle. The total number of cattle decreased by 0.9% when compared with 2023.  
• The total number of sheep in 2024 decreased by 3.8% to 6.47 million sheep when compared with the five year average.
• The number of pigs decreased by 6.5% when compared with the five year average to 315,500 pigs.  
• Overall the area of land used for growing cereals (wheat, barley, oats and other cereals) decreased by 0.8% compared with the five year average with a decrease in winter planting being partially offset by an increase in planting of spring barley.
• The winter planting of barley and oats decreased by 5.6% and 12% respectively when compared with the five year average. The area of land for wheat decreased by 6.2%.
• Spring barley increased by 3.5% when compared with the same period. Spring oats decreased by 10% leading to an overall decline in the area used for oats by 11%. Although spring oats decreased when compared with the five year average, the 2024 figure was up 12% when compared with the previous year.
• The area used for planting oilseeds rose by 6.0% compared with the five year average. Together the land used to grow cereals and oilseeds was broadly in line with the five year average (a decrease of 0.3%) with a 1.6% decrease when compared with 2023.
• Growing areas of vegetables for human consumption, excluding potatoes, increased by 5.3% compared with the five year average. The area used to grow crops for stockfeed remained similar to the five year average and the area of potatoes increased by 4.1%.
• The total workforce on agricultural holdings increased by 0.5% to 67,400 people in 2024 when compared with the five year average.
• Module questions on the use of agricultural machinery on holdings in the last 12 months and the destination of slurry after storage were also included in this year’s census.