According to the latest European Commission data, based on information submitted by Member States to Eurostat, pig slaughter increased most notably in Denmark during the first half of the year, rising by 8.3% compared with January–June 2025.
Above-average growth for the EU was also recorded in Belgium, up 3%, Poland, up 2.9%, and Spain, up 2.1%.
In Germany, the number of pigs slaughtered increased by only 0.4%. A similar trend was recorded in France.
At the same time, slaughter numbers declined in several countries. In Italy, pig slaughter fell by 0.9%, while the largest decrease among the EU countries reviewed was recorded in the Netherlands, down 5.6%.
Pork Production Grew Faster Than the Number of Pigs Slaughtered
In the first half of the year, not only slaughter numbers but also EU pork production increased.
In volume terms, production was 1.9% higher than in the same period of 2025. The fact that meat production grew faster than the number of pigs slaughtered is explained by an increase in average carcase weight.
Despite the positive trend in the first half of the year, the European Commission’s short-term outlook expects the number of pigs slaughtered in the second half of 2026 to be lower than a year earlier.
PigUA.info, based on materials from euromeatnews.com