AUSTRALIA exported more than 1.16 million livestock worth almost $1.1 billion in 2025, with live cattle exports reaching their highest level since 2019 and animal mortality rates remaining at historically low levels, according to a new industry report released today by LiveCorp.

The State of the Industry 2025 report shows 804,111 cattle, 330,445 sheep, 33,117 goats and 1,732 buffalo were exported by sea and air during the year.

While overall livestock export numbers were virtually unchanged from 2024, cattle exports increased 11 percent to more than 804,000 head and export value climbed 20pc to more than $1.03 billion.

Sheep exports fell 23pc, while goat exports more than doubled from a year earlier, driven by subdued domestic goat prices.

Indonesia remained Australia’s dominant live export market, receiving more than half of all livestock exported during the year and the largest number of Australian cattle since 2019.  (See earlier article: Indonesia revs up as engine room of Aus cattle export trade in 2025)

The report attributes the strong Indonesian demand to abundant northern Australian cattle supplies, competitive pricing and Indonesian feedlots increasing purchases ahead of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr in early 2026. It also noted continued political support for the trade from both governments and Australia’s ongoing assistance to Indonesia’s foot-and-mouth disease and lumpy skin disease control efforts.

The report also highlighted growing market diversification during 2025.

Exports of dairy cattle resumed to Mexico and Türkiye for the first time in almost a decade, Iraq emerged as a new market for feeder and slaughter cattle, and breeder cattle exports increased sharply, contributing significantly to the overall growth in live cattle shipments.

Record-low cattle mortality

LiveCorp said animal welfare outcomes continued to improve, with the annual mortality rate for cattle exported by sea and air falling to a record low of 0.04 percent, down from 0.06pc in 2024.

Sheep mortality was 0.13pc, the second-lowest annual rate on record behind the previous year, while there were zero mortalities among goats exported by air.

For cattle shipped by sea, the report recorded just 354 mortalities across 789,232 exported animals.

There was one reportable mortality incident during the year on a voyage to Indonesia in June, after mortality exceeded the regulatory reporting threshold of 0.5pc. The subsequent investigation found no evidence of regulatory breaches.

More than half of all cattle consignments completed their voyages without a single mortality.

The report said livestock delivery rates had continued to improve despite already exceeding 99pc for almost two decades.

Cattle delivery rates increased from 99.87pc in 2016 to 99.96pc in 2025, while sheep delivery rates improved from 99.20pc to 99.88pc over the same period following a combination of management and regulatory changes.

Indonesia dominates trade

Sea exports accounted for 789,232 cattle during 2025, with 704,306 head shipped to South East Asia.

Indonesia alone received 583,345 cattle, representing almost three-quarters of all cattle exported by sea and a 9pc increase on the previous year.

The Northern Territory remained Australia’s largest live cattle export jurisdiction, accounting for 447,626 head or 57pc of total sea exports. Almost 90pc of cattle shipped from Darwin were destined for Indonesia.

The report said 295 consignments were exported by sea during the year, with 89pc travelling to South East Asia. Average voyage length to the region was 7.9 days.

Sheep trade continues to contract

Sea sheep exports declined to about 319,000 head, down 24pc from 2024.

LiveCorp attributed the reduction to the legislated phase-out of live sheep exports by sea, due to take effect in May 2028, along with continuing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East together with a smaller Western Australian sheep flock.

Community support improving

The report also pointed to continuing improvements in Australian community attitudes towards the livestock export industry, based on annual national surveys conducted since 2019.

According to the 2025 research, 80pc of respondents agreed the industry makes an important contribution to Australia and 89pc regarded it as an important part of Australian agriculture.

Three-quarters of respondents said the benefits of live exports either outweighed or equalled the costs, while support for ending live exports regardless of impacts on farmers fell to its lowest level since the surveys began, at 26pc.

LiveCorp also said concern about shipboard animal welfare had declined over time, with agreement that conditions aboard live export vessels failed to meet Australian welfare standards falling from 54pc in 2019 to 37pc in 2025.

Source: LiveCorp State of the Industry Report 2025