Lleida concentrates the bulk of fattening livestock in Catalonia and also strengthens its importance in the slaughter of animals, especially in pig, poultry, and sheep, according to the latest censuses and sectoral balances of 2025.
The province gathers 60% of the fattening pigs and 55% of the cattle that are raised in Catalonia. In pork, furthermore, the fattening census in Lleida went from 1,735,868 animals in 2024 to 2,131,991 in 2025, an increase that consolidates its position as the country's main livestock hub.
The swine grows in Lleida, although the largest volume of slaughter remains outside
In 2025, 22.8 million pigs passed through Catalan slaughterhouses. Girona led the slaughter with 10.7 million animals, followed by Barcelona with 9.5 million. Lleida slaughtered 2.5 million, which is equivalent to 11% of the Catalan total, while in Tarragona 945 were counted.
That volume in Lleida improves the previous year's figure. The industries in the province went from slaughtering 2.2 million pigs in 2024 to 2.5 million in 2025. Even so, a part of Lleida's livestock production continues to leave the demarcation for its transformation, especially towards slaughterhouses in Huesca, with a prominent weight of the Binéfar plant.
Bovine with strong livestock establishment and lower share in slaughterhouse
In bovine, the Catalan slaughterhouses slaughtered in 2025 a total of 542,612 head of cattle. Barcelona and Tarragona totaled 301,407 head, Girona reached 161,940 and Lleida stood at 79,202, 14% of the Catalan total.
Despite that distribution in the sacrifices, Lleida maintains a central position in the raising of cattle, since it concentrates 55% of the bovine of Catalonia. In its area of influence also operates the meat industry of Fraga, one of the references of the sector.
Clear predominance in sheep, goat, and broiler chicken
The same concentration is repeated in other productions. Lleida has an estimated sheep flock of 178,072 animals, 43% of the Catalan total. In 2025, 101,559 sheep were slaughtered in the province, 13% of the 850,785 accounted for by Catalan companies.
In caprine, the herd of Lleida represents 34% of the total of Catalonia. In the slaughterhouses of the province, 3,710 sacrifices were registered, 7% of the Catalan total.
The highest weight occurs in broiler chickens. Lleida has a farm capacity of 23.7 million birds and in 2025 sent 96.9 million chickens for slaughter. That figure places the province at 52% of Catalan production and close to 39% of slaughter, with a relevant role played by the large integrators of the sector established in the demarcation.
The Catalan livestock and meat map thus draws a double reality. Lleida clearly leads the breeding and fattening of several species, but a part of that volume continues to depend on slaughterhouses located in other provinces or in bordering areas outside Catalonia, which keeps open the imbalance between productive capacity and slaughter capacity.