The total number of pigs in England decreased by 2.8% from 4.1 million animals in 2013 to 4.0 million in 2014. This decrease was driven by a 2.5% fall in the number of fattening pigs which account for 90% of all pigs.
The female breeding herd decreased by 4.8% to 329 thousand pigs in 2014. Other breeding pigs also decreased in 2014, falling from 88 thousand in 2013 to 82 thousand in 2014. The result was an overall decrease of 5.3% in the total number of breeding pigs.