Pakistan’s livestock sector has emerged as the country’s largest driver of agricultural growth, contributing 62.4 percent of agriculture’s total value addition and 14.6 percent of national GDP during FY2026, according to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2025-26.
The sector expanded by 3.75 percent during the year, outpacing overall agriculture growth of 2.89 percent and crop sector growth of 1.44 percent.
The latest survey shows livestock has become the dominant pillar of Pakistan’s agriculture economy, supporting more than 8 million rural families and providing an estimated 35 to 40 percent of household income in rural areas.
Gross value addition from livestock increased from Rs. 6,004 billion in FY2025 to Rs. 6,229 billion in FY2026, reflecting steady expansion despite challenges including disease outbreaks and feed shortages.
The country’s livestock population also continued to grow. Cattle numbers rose to 61.96 million in FY2026 from 59.7 million a year earlier, while buffalo population increased to 49.1 million.
Goat numbers climbed to 91.8 million, making goats the largest livestock category in Pakistan. Sheep population reached 33.5 million during the year.
Growth in livestock numbers translated into higher production. Gross milk production increased to 74.7 million tons in FY2026 from 72.3 million tons a year earlier, while milk available for human consumption rose to 60.2 million tons. Meat production climbed to 6.31 million tons, compared to 5.97 million tons in FY2025. Poultry meat production also increased to 2.83 million tons, while egg production reached 28.3 billion units.
The government is increasingly positioning livestock as an export-led growth sector. Pakistan’s meat exports have more than doubled from US$ 196 million in 2015 to around US$ 427 million in 2024, while total meat exports exceeded US$ 500 million in FY2025.
Under a newly launched transformation strategy, authorities aim to increase meat exports to nearly US$ 700 million by 2028 while targeting annual sector growth of around 6 percent. To oversee this effort, the government has established the National Meat Transformation and Export Council under the Prime Minister’s leadership.
The reform agenda focuses on improving livestock genetics, expanding commercial feedlot farming, strengthening disease control systems, improving cold chain infrastructure, and increasing exports of processed and value-added meat products. Authorities are also pursuing disease-free zones for Foot and Mouth Disease, Peste des Petits Ruminants, and Avian Influenza to meet international market requirements.
Several supporting initiatives are underway, including the introduction of Embryo Transfer Technology, In Vitro Fertilization, expanded artificial insemination services, and imports of high-yield dairy and meat breeds. The government has also approved a Rs. 7.35 billion national program for animal disease surveillance, traceability, and disease control aimed at improving compliance with international sanitary standards and opening new export markets.
Pakistan is also actively pursuing access to new overseas markets. During FY2026, authorities worked on registering slaughterhouses and dairy facilities with foreign regulators, secured sanitary equivalence agreements with Azerbaijan, and pursued export opportunities in China, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, Vietnam, and other markets.
The government has additionally signed protocols with China for exports of donkey meat and related products, with a new slaughterhouse approved in Gwadar Free Zone to support the trade.
While crops such as wheat, rice, and sugarcane remain central to food security, the Economic Survey suggests livestock is increasingly becoming the sector carrying Pakistan’s agricultural economy.
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As policymakers shift attention toward meat exports, dairy production, disease control, and livestock productivity, the sector is expected to play an even larger role in generating rural incomes, exports, employment, and overall economic growth in the years ahead.
