Goats are mammals that have a stocky build and horns in addition to cloven hooves. Mountain goats, known scientifically as Oreamnos americanus, are found in the mountainous regions of the United States Pacific Northwest. Domestic goats, known scientifically as Capra hircus, are kept and bred as farm animals. But you are here to find out how many goats are in the world, or even in certain countries. I’ll discuss all this below.
According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, goats are classified as members of the Bovidae family. Other members of this family include antelopes, cattle, and sheep (ITIS). Ibex, markhors, and turs are three different species that belong to the genus Capragenus and are frequently referred to as wild goats. In the Oreamnos genus, mountain goats are the only species still alive today.
Where Did Goats Originate?
Millions of years ago, the wild goat most likely evolved somewhere in Asia. It was domesticated in the area around the Zagros mountains in what is now western Iran as early as 10,000 years ago. According to the findings, goats were one of the first domesticated animals, with only dogs clearly preceding them.
Domestication of goats is thought to have occurred in western Asia or eastern Europe. By 8000 BC, archaeological evidence indicated that this was well advanced.
Male goats were preferentially murdered at an early age in several places, implying that they were confined in enclosures rather than hunted in the wild. Goat pee left chemical remains in the earth where the animals were domesticated at Aşkl Höyük in Turkey.
How Many Goats Are There In The World 2022?
The number of goats around the globe is estimated to be around one billion, which has increased by a factor of more than two during the past forty years.
Goat keeping is emerging as a significant form of husbandry in a world where the future will increasingly be dominated by adaptation to climate change. Not only is goat keeping essential for maintaining production levels, but it is also vital because goats have a relatively minor impact on climate because they emit less methane than other livestock.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organizations, more than ninety percent of goats may be found in developing countries. Asia has the most significant proportion of the world’s goat population, followed by Africa. Most animal farms breed goats for meat production, and the rest of the production process is goat milk, hair, and skin.
What Country Has The Most Goats?
China is the world’s number one country in goat population. As we mentioned above, Asia is the continent with the most number of goats. The nations of China, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are home to among the continent’s most numerous goat populations.
The overall number of goats in China is 182 million, which accounts for 18.19% of the total goat population globally. The countries mentioned above, together with Nigeria, make up the top five nations in the world regarding the number of goats in their respective populations.
Top 5 Goats Statistics
- There are more than one billion goats all over the world. It means there is one goat for every eight people on the planet.
- Asia contributes more to the total amount of meat (70.7 % ). The country that makes the most goat meat is China, which makes 35.89% of all the goat meat in the world. The average weight of a goat carcass worldwide is 12.0 percent, but this varies a lot from continent to continent and country to country.
- In 2022, it was thought that more than 20 million tons of goat milk would be made worldwide. From 1993 to 2013, it went up by 62%. Between 2007 and 2017, production went up by 16%. In the 1990s, there were many more dairy goats, which explains the big jump.
- Total goat meat production per year is around 4 million tons. China is producing 1.8 tons of goats as a single country.
- Average-sized goat needs around 2 kg of grass and corn-cob mix foods daily. So, the total number of goats worldwide needs more than 730 billion kilograms of food per year.
FAQs
How many goats are there in India?
The number of goats in India is around 135 million.
How many goats are there in Australia?
The goat population of Australia is around 2 million.
How many goats are in America?
There are around 2.5 million goats in the United States of America.
How many goats are in Mexico?
The goat population of Mexico is around 10 million. It is 4 times the goat population of the United States.
How many goats are there in Greece?
There are around 3.6 million goats in Greece.