New Zealand has a ratio of seven sheep to every person, with an estimated 30 million sheep and a human population of 4.5 million. The ratio has declined from a high of 22:1 in 1982 due to drought and a drop in wool prices. The first sheep were brought to the country by Captain James Cook in 1773.
The ratio of sheep to people in New Zealand is around seven sheep to every person. The country’s human population is around 4.5 million, and there are an estimated 30 million sheep in New Zealand. The country has one of the highest ratios of sheep to people in the world. By comparison, Australia, another country with a high sheep population, has a ratio of less than five sheep per person. The ratio in New Zealand has declined from a high of 22:1 in 1982, due to factors such as drought conditions and a drop in wool prices which has reduced the incentive to raise sheep.
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The first sheep in New Zealand were brought to the country by British explorer Captain James Cook in 1773.
New Zealand’s sheep population began to grow rapidly during the 1860s due to low prices for buying sheep from Australia due to drought. In 1862, for example, the city of Canterbury in New Zealand received more than 13,000 sheep from Australia.
The cattle population in New Zealand increased by approximately 110% from 1980 to 2010, while the sheep population decreased by 55%.
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