Number of slaughtered pigs in the EU declines faster

The European pork production decreased in 2025. The slaughter number even fell more sharply. Most countries experienced a decline. Spain is an exception in this regard. The European pork production fell by 1.6% in 2025 to 20.74 million tons, according to data from Eurostat. Over a five-year period, production has decreased by as much as 11.3%. Meanwhile, the slaughter number has declined even more sharply. The number of slaughterings in the European Union decreased by 2.8% in 2025 to 216.06 million pigs. Over the last five years, the number of pig slaughterings has decreased by 13.7%. In 2021, 249.57 million pigs were slaughtered in the European Union. Spanish production rises significantly Spain strengthens its leading position with a production of 5.27 million tons in 2025, compared to 4.95 million tons in 2024. An increase of 6.5% underscores the structural economies of scale and the ongoing competitiveness of the Spanish sector. This widens the gap with other countries. France remains stable in second position with 2.10 million tons. Compared to 2.09 million tons in 2024, the growth is about 0.5%. This marginal increase indicates a consolidating market, where production volumes largely remain balanced. Poland reports a decrease of about 4.2% to 1.82 million tons compared to 1.90 million tons in 2024. The Netherlands shows a production of 1.30 million tons, a decrease of approximately 6.5% compared to 1.39 million tons a year earlier. This places the Netherlands among the largest decliners in the group. This indicates a further contraction of production capacity, possibly in combination with policy and structural adjustments in livestock farming. Denmark stands at 1.25 million tons, about 5.3% lower than the 1.32 million tons in 2024. The decline fits into the broader trend of volume shrinkage in Northwestern Europe, where the cost structure and market pressure hinder production expansion. Italy produces 1.19 million tons, marking a decline of approximately 4.0% compared to 1.24 million tons in 2024.