In June 2022, the number of sheep in New Zealand was 25.3 million, with a decrease of 400,000 sheep, or 2% less than the previous census, according to a report on national agricultural production generally published by the New Zealand Statistics Agency every five years. years.
The agency said “the ratio of sheep to one person has declined to less than five per person in the year 2022, to a level that is the lowest recorded since 1850 when authorities began counting the number of sheep”.
“In 1982 there were 22 sheep per capita in New Zealand,” she said.
She added: “Australia now has three times as many sheep as New Zealand, knowing that the proportion of these animals in relation to the population does not exceed three sheep per capita.”
New Zealand, with a population of 5.2 million, is one of the largest wool exporters in the world, with the value of its wool exports in the past year amounting to 284 million of dollars.
However, high production costs and low wool prices have affected the size of herds, which have been steadily decreasing since the 80s of the 20th century, when the number of such animals was 72 million sheep.
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