There are still far more sheep than people in New Zealand, but the proportion is at its lowest since the 1850s: less than five sheep per person, according to figures released Monday by the government statistics body. .
The country had 25.3 million sheep in June 2022, a drop of 400,000 heads (-2%) compared to the last census, according to a report on local agricultural production published every five years by NZ Stats.
World’s leading wool exporter
“In 1982, there were 22 sheep per capita in New Zealand,” recalls the organization. “Australia now has three times as many sheep as New Zealand, although the proportion is only about three sheep per capita,” the report continues.
New Zealand, home to 5.2 million people, is one of the world’s leading wool exporters. Last year, the country sold 284 million dollars (260 million euros) of wool abroad.
But rising production costs and drop in wool prices have affected herd sizes, which have been steadily declining since the 1980s, when the number of sheep reached 72 million.