New Zealand’s sheep-to-people ratio at record low (five to one)
Humans are still outnumbered by sheep in New Zealand, despite a decline in the size of the national flock
ALAMY
For years New Zealanders have endured jokes about how they are massively outnumbered by sheep. But figures show that the gap between humans and the country’s most famous livestock is narrowing and now stands at fewer than five to one, the lowest ratio since the 1850s.
The Agricultural Production Census has revealed that the national flock fell by 400,000 sheep, or 2 per cent, to 25.3 million in June 2022. The country is home to 5.2 million people. That is a huge reduction when compared with the recent past. In 1982 there were 22 sheep for every person.
“The ratio of sheep to people dropped below five to one in 2022, for the first time since the 1850s, when national sheep numbers were first recorded,”
