Live Animal Exports by Country 2025

Many countries around the globe are known for their excellent livestock, and sometimes that livestock needs to be exported to a different country to support its agricultural endeavors. Here is a closer look at which countries export the most live animals.

Livestock Exports by the Numbers

The number of live animals exported by a country is not measured by head but rather by value. France leads the way, with a total number of live animal exports in 2022 that measured $22.6 million U.S. dollars. Though this was down over the 2021 value, $23.8 billion U.S. dollars, it is still nearly ten times the number of the second leading county.

The Netherlands is the second leading country, having a total export value for its live animals of $2.5 million U.S. dollars. Again, this is less than France by far, but it is also quite a bit more than Canada, the third leading country. Canada’s live animal export value is just under $2 million U.S. dollars. Next in line is Germany, which exports $1.96 million U.S. dollars of animals, followed by Germany, which has an export value of 1.4 million U.S. dollars. Denmark, the United States, and Australia all follow, with values of $1.2 million, $1.19 million, and $1.06 million, respectively.

What Kind of Animals are Commonly Exported

France, the leading country for livestock exports, commonly exports cattle, pigs, horses, chickens, and other bovine. Though it falls behind France in the total number of exported live animals, Australia leads the way in the exporting of sheep and cattle.

In many instances, exported live animals are used for breeding purposes. They are designed to change the genetic makeup of the local population in the areas where they are sent. When exporting animals to use as food, most of the time, it makes more sense to send the meat, not the live animal.