UK dairy cows in numbers

The herd

Great Britain’s milking herd stood at about 1.57 million cows in July 2026, the lowest on record.¹ The average cow in it is 4.6 years old.²

The milk

A UK dairy cow gives around 8,278 litres of milk a year (2024).³ Over the course of her working life, 210 gave 38,663 litres: roughly what an average cow gives in four and a half to five years.

The exit

Cows leaving the herd have had 3.6 lactations on average, and around 28% of a herd is replaced each year.⁴ Dairy cows make up more than half of the cows slaughtered in Great Britain each year.⁵

210 at a glance

100% Holstein Friesian. Eleven years old. Six calves. 38,663 litres of milk over 1,835 days in milk. Retired to grass. Then, dinner.

Sources

1. AHDB, Dairy October 2026 forecast update: GB milking herd 1.57 million head, July 2026.
2. AHDB, “Will there be enough milking cows to meet future demand?”, 9 July 2026.
3. AHDB UK milk yield (Defra figures): 8,278 litres per cow per year, 2024.
4. National Milk Records 2023 analysis of 500 UK herds.
5. AHDB, “Market trends shift cow slaughter patterns”, 2 April 2026 (BCMS data): 56%, 2021–2025 average.

Last checked 2026-10-25. Spotted an error? Tell us via the press contact.