Figures Show Decline in Global Equine Population

According to figures released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, there are considerably fewer horses in the world than there were three years ago.

Global figures for the total equine population declined by nearly one million animals per year from 2009, when there were about 60 million horses listed, to 2011 when the number dropped to 58.5 million. Cattle and sheep have also declined worldwide, though pigs and donkeys/mules have increased. A recent total for donkeys and mules was almost 54 million, a figure that is inching up toward the horse head-count.

The United States’ total of over 10 million horses leads the world list. China, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina fill the next four spots, each with more than 3.5 million horses. Other countries with more than a million horses include Mongolia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, and the Russian Federation.

Despite lower global numbers, the equine population has grown in some individual countries including the U.S., Canada, and a number of European, Scandinavian, and African countries. There are also somewhat more horses in Australia in the last few years, but fewer in New Zealand.