Ukraine’s pig population has declined by 17.3% since the start of the war

Ukraine’s pig population stood at 4.64 mln head at the beginning of 2026, down 17.3% compared with the beginning of 2022. The full-scale war has significantly accelerated the decline in pig numbers across most regions.

This was highlighted by Natalia Kopytets, PhD in Economics, AgroTimes.ua.

Before the start of the full-scale invasion, farms of all categories kept 5.61 mln pigs. During the first year of the war alone, their number declined by 11.8%. The largest losses were recorded in regions affected by active hostilities or occupation.

In particular, the pig population declined by 61.9% in Kharkiv region, 64.3% in Luhansk region, 65.9% in Zaporizhzhia region and 66.2% in Donetsk region. In Kherson region, the number of pigs fell by more than 94%.

At the same time, the structure of the industry by producer category shifted in favor of commercial farms. While they accounted for 63.8% of Ukraine’s total pig population at the beginning of 2022, their share increased to 68.8% by the beginning of 2026.

This increase does not mean that commercial pig farming expanded throughout the entire war period, but largely reflects a faster decline in pig numbers among other categories of producers. At the same time, the pig population at commercial farms increased by 8.7% at the beginning of 2026, which may indicate a gradual recovery in the industry’s production capacity.

Tags: Ukraine, pork, pig