Pakistan Poultry Population Hits Record 2.47 Billion as Production Soars Nationwide

ISLAMABAD: The total number of poultry birds in Pakistan is currently estimated at 2.47 billion. This figure represents the top-line data that is part of the just released Economic Survey 2025-26, and this figure marks an increase from 2.260 billion registered previously.

Similarly, the egg production also grew to 28.279 billion in the current fiscal year, from 26.696 billion previously. Similarly, meat production increased to 2.826 million metric tons from 2.583 million metric tons. However, there was one exception.

Pakistan Poultry Population

Commercial farms are doing almost all the work here. Their bird count went from 1.969 billion to 2.164 billion. Broilers alone: 2.061 billion up to 2.267 billion. Layer birds, the actual egg producers, climbed from 83.90 million to 89.72 million. Breeding stock grew too 17.44 million to 18.31 million. While day-old chicks from commercial hatcheries amounted to 2.368 billion units, compared with 2.153 billion last year.

Commercial eggs: 23.39 billion, against 21.88 billion. Commercial meat: 2.686 million tonnes, against 2.4 million tonnes.

Also Read: Pakistan's Vast Livestock Can Become a Billion-Dollar Meat Export Industry

Rural poultry backyard birds, small household flocks grew slower but still grew. The numbers stood at 96.98 million birds last year, however, this year it's 98.48 million. Cocks went from 14.30 million to 14.69 million. Hens: Last year, 48.02 million; now, 48.88 million. Chickens hardly changed at all from 34.66 million to 34.91 million – such a small change that it is nearly zero. Egg production by these household chickens increased slightly from 4.802 billion to 4.889 billion, while meat production edged slightly from 137,720 tons to 140,470 tons. Not much in numbers, but heading in the right direction.

Ducks were the exception. Population held flat at 0.31 million. Egg output actually dropped 13.89 million down to 13.32 million. Meat production slipped too, 420 tonnes to 400. Nobody's explaining why in the survey, but the contrast is hard to miss next to everything else in this report.

Worth noting: these figures rest on 2005-06 benchmark data, and egg numbers come from standard productivity parameters, not a literal count of every egg laid.

Why any of this matters beyond the spreadsheet poultry is still the cheapest animal protein most Pakistani families can put on the table, and the sector employs a huge chunk of the rural workforce. A record year on paper doesn't automatically mean cheaper chicken at the next market visit. Feed costs, fuel, transport all of that eats into the margin between "more birds produced" and "lower price at the counter." That gap is really the only number that matters to most households, and it's the one this survey doesn't measure.