Canadian Cattle Counts by Class and Farm Type

Annual cattle inventory data measures livestock populations across Canada and its provinces, reported in thousands of head. Statistics Canada compiles these figures, with the latest update in February 2026. The dataset tracks counts by animal class and farm operation type over time.

Use Cases

• Forecast provincial cattle inventory trends using annual time-series data.
• Analyze correlations between farm type classifications and cattle class distributions.
• Model regional livestock density by joining province-level counts with geographic area data.

Strengths

• Data is updated annually, providing consistent time-series measurements.
• Coverage includes all Canadian provinces, enabling national and sub-national analysis.
• Published by Statistics Canada, a national statistical agency ensuring authoritative collection.

Limitations

• Specific row and column counts are unknown, limiting assessment of granularity.
• Data is reported in aggregated units (thousands of head), obscuring individual farm-level detail.
• The absence of sample data prevents verification of data structure and value ranges.

Provenance

Source

Statistics Canada

Collection Method

Collected via the Agricultural Census.

Time Range

Annual basis.

Freshness

Updated annually, with a recent metadata update in February 2026.

Geography

Canada and its provinces.