Spain’s sheep and goat meat sector turns to exports as production base contracts

Exports absorb almost half of available meat

Spain’s sheep and goat meat industry is becoming increasingly dependent on foreign markets as its domestic production base contracts. A sector assessment by INTEROVIC, based on the Ministry of Agriculture’s economic indicators for 2025, shows that Spain had 180,368 sheep and goat farms and a combined population of 15,019,627 animals. Producers supplied 9,207,348 animals for sale during the year, 10.5% fewer than in 2024.

Of the animals produced for sale, 1,068,650 were exported live, representing 11.6% of the total. Another 8,138,698 domestically produced animals were slaughtered in Spain. Together with 250,302 imported animals, this brought total slaughtering and processing to 8,389,000 head and generated 117,072 tonnes of meat available to the industry.

International markets took 55,864 tonnes, or approximately 47.7% of all available meat. This near-even division between exports and domestic consumption highlights the commercial reach of the Spanish industry, but it also increases the importance of maintaining enough livestock and farms to supply both markets. Meat exports rose 11.1% from 2024 even as the animal population declined by 5.2% and production for sale fell by 10.5%.

EU remains the core market as Algeria surges

The European Union remained Spain’s largest external market, receiving 37,918 tonnes. That volume was equivalent to 32.4% of all sheep and goat meat available in Spain, with France, Italy and Portugal leading the EU destinations. These established regional outlets provide Spanish processors and traders with a substantial nearby customer base.

Countries outside the EU bought a further 17,946 tonnes, accounting for 15.3% of available meat. Algeria became the leading non-EU destination in 2025, importing 13,706 tonnes, an increase of 172.8% from the previous year. Algeria alone therefore represented most of Spain’s reported sheep and goat meat shipments to third-country markets.

Live-animal trade also retained a significant role. Of the 1,068,650 animals exported in 2025, 672,563 went to countries outside the EU and 396,087 to EU markets. The figures show that overseas demand supports the sector through two distinct channels: finished meat from Spanish processors and live animals supplied directly to foreign buyers.

Domestic demand declines across both main channels

The Spanish market retained 61,235 tonnes, equivalent to 52.3% of available meat. Consumption was almost evenly divided between households, at 31,313 tonnes, and the HORECA channel, at 29,922 tonnes. Both weakened compared with 2024: household consumption fell 12.1%, while HORECA consumption declined 7.9%.

Within household retail, self-service outlets were the largest channel at 12,869 tonnes, followed by specialist retailers with 11,957 tonnes and hypermarkets with 2,946 tonnes. INTEROVIC director Tomás Rodríguez said the figures demonstrate the Spanish supply chain’s ability to find customers at home and abroad, but also the need to preserve sufficient production capacity. For producers, processors and traders, the central issue is whether the value created by export demand can support farms, animal numbers and economic activity in producing regions while domestic consumption continues to fall.