In 2025, just over 14 million pigs will have been slaughtered in the Netherlands, the lowest level since 2010. The downward trend in slaughters has been visible for years, but it accelerated last year. The decline in slaughters was partly offset by the halving of live pig exports to Germany. The number of slaughters also decreased in Germany.
To be precise, 14.007.851 pigs were slaughtered in Dutch slaughterhouses last year. Compared to 2024, this represents a decrease of 3,2%. The average slaughter weight last year was 99,8 kilos, compared to 99,91 kilos a year earlier.
Live exports halved
On a weekly basis, an average of 269.382 pigs were slaughtered. Throughout the year, the number of slaughters decreased. In the first half of the year, the average weekly number was 275.401 pigs. In the first two months of this year, the slaughter figure also regularly exceeded the 300.000 mark. In the second half, an average of 263.362 pigs were slaughtered per week. Only in the last full slaughter week before Christmas did the slaughter figure, at 300.548, narrowly exceed the psychological limit.
The number of slaughterings declined less sharply than the number of finishing pig locations. This is because exports of finishing pigs, primarily to Germany, halved to 361.591. Total exports of finishing pigs fell by 48% to 438.916. In other words, nearly 8.000 additional pigs remained in the Netherlands on a weekly basis.
Decline in Germany
The number of pigs slaughtered in Germany fell by 4,3% last year to 35.763.266. This continued the downward trend of the past year. However, the slaughter figure was regularly above the 2024 level again in the second half of 2025. On a weekly basis, an average of 701.240 pigs were slaughtered last year.