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Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.
Pigs are among the most popular animals found on farms around the world. While many people keep pigs as pets, the reality is that they are a popular source of meat products, including sausages, ham, bacon, and pork.
Pigs are also used for leather products, such as shoes, bags, and clothing, and their bristles are used for brushes. When you consider how much we use pork products, it’s no wonder that the pig is so popular!
But just how popular are pigs in Canada? They are pretty popular with almost 14 million hogs. We did the research and pulled together statistics all about Canadian pigs.
Top 13 Pig Statistics in Canada
- There were 13,930,000 hogs in Canada by July 1, 2022.
- There were 7,423 Canadian farms with hogs in 2021.
- There were 12.7% fewer boars from 2016 to 2021 in Canada.
- Quebec is the province with the most pigs in Canada, with 31% of the country’s inventory.
- In 2021, 21,978,300 hogs were slaughtered in inspected facilities in Canada.
- Canada was the third-largest exporter of pork in 2022.
- Pork consumption in Canada hit an all-time low in 2022.
- The pork sector brings in about $4.1 billion in sales in Canada.
- The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the Canadian pork industry with a drop in prices.
- Canada ate less pork in 2022.
- Canada has five different breeds of pigs.
- Canada exported 1.47 million metric tonnes of pork in 2022.
- There are more than 60,000 wild pig occurrences across Canada.
Canada Pig Population
1. There were 13,930,000 hogs in Canada by July 1, 2022.
(Statistics Canada)
This number is actually the lowest since at least 2016, when it was 14,092,000. It even dropped from 14,175,000 on July 1, making this a drop of 245,000 pigs in just 6 months.
2. There were 7,423 Canadian farms with hogs in 2021.
(Statistics Canada)
This number is a drop from 2016, when there were 8,402 Canadian hog farms, which is 979 fewer farms in 5 years.
3. There were 12.7% fewer boars from 2016 to 2021 in Canada.
(Statistics Canada)
Boars kept for breeding saw the most significant drop in numbers, with a 12.7% decrease, with only suckling pigs under 15 pounds also falling in numbers at just a 0.7% decrease.
Sows and gilts for breeding (3.6% increase), nursery, weanling, and starter pigs weighing 15 to 49 pounds (5.8% increase), as well as over 50-pound market pigs (3.3% increase), all saw an increase in numbers.
4. Quebec is the province with the most pigs in Canada, with 31% of the country’s inventory.
(Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)
Ontario has the second most pigs at 26%, followed quite closely by Manitoba with 24% in 2021.
Pig Industry
5. In 2021, 21,978,300 hogs were slaughtered in inspected facilities in Canada.
(Statistics Canada)
Just to compare, 3,504,300 cattle and 770,131,000 poultry were slaughtered in the same year. Hogs are Canada’s second largest sector in meat production.
6. Canada was the third-largest exporter of pork in 2022.
(Statista)
The European Union (EU) exported the most with 4,750,000 metric tonnes, followed by the United States with 2,991,000, and Canada exported 1,465,000 metric tonnes.
7. Pork consumption in Canada hit an all-time low in 2022.
(Statista)
1980 saw 32.2 kilograms of pork per capita consumed, which decreased to 22.3 kilograms in 2022. It’s forecast to go up a smidge in 2023 to 22.4 kilograms, but the downward trend has been ongoing since 1980.
8. The pork sector brings in about $4.1 billion in sales in Canada.
(Canadian Pork Council)
The pork sector is the fourth-largest source of income for all Canadian agricultural commodities. It contributes to 31,000 farm jobs, which includes direct, indirect, and induced jobs in Canada.
9. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the Canadian pork industry with a drop in prices.
(Statistics Canada)
The prices for pork went down by 13.3% for both fresh and frozen pork between January and February 2020. Pork sold domestically dropped in price by 12.5%, and 14.5% for pork sold internationally.
10. Canada ate less pork in 2022.
(Statista)
It’s partly due to Canadians decreasing the amount of red meat in their diets. Only 48% of Canadians say that they eat meat on a daily basis, and another 7.5% never eat meat. In 2018, 29% of Millennials stated that they were reducing or eliminating red meat entirely.
Finally, retail sales of meat substitutes are consistently going up: Sales in Canada in 2015 were $119.9 million and in 2022, $226.7 million.
11. Canada has five different breeds of pigs.
(Pig Progress)
The five breeds of pigs are Lacombe, Yorkshire, Hampshire, Duroc, and Landrace. The Lacombe is the only breed developed in Canada and gets its name from where it was bred: Lacombe, Alberta. However, it isn’t commonly bred at this point.
12. Canada exported 1.47 million metric tonnes of pork in 2022.
(Statista)
The most Canada exported since 2011 (1.2 million metric tonnes) was in 2020 with 1.55 million metric tonnes. Pork product has dropped since 2020, primarily due to the pandemic.
Wild Pigs in Canada
13. There are more than 60,000 wild pig occurrences across Canada.
(Canadian Cattleman)
These pigs originated around 1990 as escapees from farms, which are particularly bad in the Prairie provinces. They can weigh up to 600 pounds, and combined with their tusks and aggressive nature, they are considered a dangerous and invasive species.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pigs in Canada
How popular is pork?
The FAO stated that pork was the most consumed meat in the world at 35.6% of the world’s meat consumption, followed by poultry at 33%. However, it is forecast that poultry will surpass pork in the near future. (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)
What are the main countries that Canada exports to?
Canada exports pork to countries all over the world, but mainly to the U.S., Japan, China, Mexico, Germany, the Philippines, Spain, and Italy. Canada also exports feeder hogs (4 million in 2021) and market pigs, boars, and sows (1.3 million in 2021) to the States. (Pig Progress)
Are there any serious diseases that affect pigs in Canada?
Common diseases that affect pigs in Canada are porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, porcine epidemic diarrhea, and swine influenza.
African swine fever is a serious infection that can swiftly spread through a herd of pigs but has not been found in Canada. (Pig Progress, Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
How many pigs are there in the world?
There are over 780 million pigs around the world as of 2022, which is an increase of 30 million from just 1 year earlier. However, while pork is certainly one of the most popular meats worldwide, poultry is currently the most consumed meat. (Statista)
What country has the most pigs?
China has the most pigs in the world by far! China has 449.22 million pigs, which is slightly more than half of the world’s pigs. This also makes China the top pork producer in the world. (Statista)
Conclusion
Our beautiful country has almost 14 million pigs kept on nearly 7,500 pig farms. This makes Canada one of the biggest producers of pork products, though there has been a notable decline.
Raising pigs as ethically as possible is essential, and many Canadian farmers work hard at keeping their pigs happy. Many are raised indoors to protect them from diseases and the elements and are kept in social housing and provided with toys for enrichment.
