New Zealand now has fewer than five sheep per capita, the lowest proportion since 1850

A little less wool to make sweaters. There are still many more sheep than people in New Zealand, but the proportion is at its lowest since the 1850s. The proportion is now five sheep per person, according to figures published Monday May 22 by the organization public in charge of statistics.

In detail, 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 Stats NZ. “The ratio of sheep per capita fell to less than five to one in 2022, for the first time since 1850, when sheep were first counted,” indicates the organization. “In 1982, there were 22 sheep per capita in New Zealand”he recalls.

New Zealand and its 5.2 million people is one of the largest exporters of wool in the world. Last year, the country sold 284 million dollars (260 million euros) of wool abroad. But rising production costs and falling wool prices have affected herd sizes, which have been falling steadily since the 1980s.