The number of cows in Sweden, including both dairy and suckler cows, increased between June 2025 and June 2026, according to the latest annual livestock census from the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
“After declining continuously since 2015, the number of dairy cows has now increased for two consecutive years,” says Anders Grönvall, statistician at the Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket).
Milk deliveries to dairies have also increased over the same period. Meanwhile, suckler cow and calf numbers have recovered following several years of decline.
Total cattle numbers on the rise
Sweden’s total cattle population increased by 25,000 head between June 2025 and June 2026, bringing the national herd to 1.425 million head.
An increase of this magnitude over a two-year period is unusual. According to the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s livestock census, a comparable rise has not been recorded since the early 1990s.
The recent growth in dairy cow numbers follows a prolonged period of decline. Since 2000, Sweden’s dairy cow population has fallen by 31%, while suckler cow numbers have increased by 22%.
In June 2026, the Swedish dairy herd comprised 296,926 cows, compared with 295,526 in 2023, according to the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
Västra Götaland remains Sweden’s largest dairy region
Regional figures show that Västra Götaland has the highest number of dairy cows in Sweden, with 51,578 head, followed by Kalmar with 37,464 and Skåne with 35,066.
Stockholm has the smallest dairy cow population, at 2,534 head, followed by Blekinge with 3,187 and Västmanland with 3,478, according to the Swedish farming magazine Husdjur.
Source: Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket) / Husdjur
Photo: Rasmus Andersen, Unsplash