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Italian Dairy Cow Population

This page provides with data referring to the dairy cow population. To note that Dairy cows account for an important part of the livestock sector in Italy.

The data on the table here below provide, in the given period, with:
  • Heads of cattle
  • Milk yeald (kg) per cow
  • % protein content
  • % fat content

N.B.: The benefits of genetic researches, improved cattle housing hygienic conditions and higher feed quality have a positive influence into the increasing milk yield per cow and as a consequence to the total milk production volume.

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Italy - Milk cows (number of heads)
Region 2019 2020 2021 2022  
number
of heads¹
number
of heads¹
number
of heads¹
kg of milk
per cow²³
% protein²    % fat²    number
of heads¹
kg of milk
per cow²³
% protein²    % fat²    number of heads
± from 2021
Emilia-Romagna 259.851 258.983 255.720 9.782 3,39 3,78 251.677 9.825 3,38 3,77 -1,58%
Friuli-Venezia Giulia 33.122 32.292 30.330 8.882 3,40 3,97 33.921 9.003 3,40 3,95 +11,84%
Liguria 1.450 1.473 929 5.097 3,47 3,80 1.074 5.096 3,45 3,79 +15,61%
Lombardia 545.716 540.117 536.547 10.839 3,39 3,91 579.042 10.938 3,38 3,89 +7,92%
Piemonte 136.186 143.284 145.243 9.649 3,41 3,98 143.414 9.853 3,42 3,94 -1,26%
Trentino-Alto Adige 76.654 76.693 73.993 7.774 3,49 4,11 89.598 7.731 3,46 4,09 +21,09%
Valle d'Aosta 16.452 15.681 18.142 3.466 3,33 3,54 17.782 3.497 3,33 3,54 -1,98%
Veneto 135.329 135.525 131.150 9.750 3,42 3,88 147.847 9.779 3,41 3,91 +12,73%
Lazio 45.888 45.332 42.125 9.566 3,40 3,87 46.132 9.376 3,40 3,84 +9,51%
Marche 6.065 5.969 5.892 8.668 3,39 3,83 5.934 8.300 3,41 3,83 +0,71%
Toscana 14.382 13.714 15.646 9.245 3,43 3,93 11.862 9.344 3,42 3,98 -24,19%
Umbria 5.899 5.912 5.971 9.719 3,36 3,73 7.967 9.764 3,35 3,74 +33,43%
Abruzzo 15.274 15.243 15.768 7.921 3,36 3,86 16.215 7.917 3,34 3,82 +2,83%
Basilicata 22.392 22.849 21.752 9.478 3,42 3,90 24.216 9.632 3,46 3,96 +11,33%
Calabria 23.427 23.911 18.368 8.826 3,46 3,95 19.881 9.108 3,42 3,93 +8,24%
Campania 56.909 56.267 51.421 9.099 3,36 3,84 50.175 8.750 3,39 3,92 -2,42%
Molise 10.021 10.159 8.029 6.737 3,39 3,79 12.037 7.088 3,36 3,79 +49,92%
Puglia 80.955 79.765 78.839 8.844 3,51 3,86 69.394 8.838 3,53 3,82 -11,98%
Sardegna 54.247 51.292 49.403 10.622 3,42 4,06 46.101 10.351 3,42 4,07 -6,68%
Sicilia 102.898 103.921 104.680 8.232 3,41 3,89 56.859 8.312 3,42 3,86 -45,68%
North 1.204.760 1.204.048 1.192.054       1.264.355        
Middle 72.234 70.927 69.634       71.895        
South 366.123 363.407 348.260       294.878        
Italy 1.643.117 1.638.382 1.609.948       1.631.128        
Last update: 2023-06-14
Source: AIA, ISTAT

1) Source ISTAT: figures are representative of the Italian average milk production per cow per year reported at December 1st of each year.
2) Source AIA: figures refer to the period 1st October - 30 September of each year and to the cow population inspected by AIA (Italian Animal Breeders Association) that accounts for 61.30% of the whole dairy cow herds for 2004, 61.01% for 2005, 61.64% for 2006, 60.88 for 2007, 61.20% for 2008, 59.96% for 2009, 65.40% for 2010, 66.22% for 2011, 62.77% for 2012, 61.14% for 2013.
3) "kg of milk per cow" has to be intended as annual average milk production per cow.