Nigeria has the fourth-largest rabbit and hare population in the world, with an estimated 6.14 million head in 2024, according to FAOSTAT-based figures compiled by agriculture data analysts.
China leads by a wide margin with 114.91 million rabbits and hares, followed by North Korea (32.17 million) and Benin (15 million). Nigeria’s herd places it ahead of Egypt (5.05 million), Ukraine (3.87 million) and Russia (3.26 million) in terms of live animal stocks.
The data, drawn from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s statistical database (FAOSTAT), cover “rabbits and hares – live animals” and include official, estimated and imputed observations. Analysts caution that the global total of about 194.42 million head is the sum of available national reports and should not be read as a complete worldwide census.
Meat production still led by China
While the stock figures highlight Nigeria’s position in small-livestock numbers, rabbit-meat production remains heavily concentrated in Asia. In 2024, FAOSTAT-based tables show China produced about 445,128 tonnes of rabbit and hare meat, followed by North Korea (156,672 t) and Egypt (51,480 t).
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Benin, Algeria, Ukraine and Sierra Leone round out the top 10 meat producers, with outputs between roughly 8,000 and 15,000 tonnes.
Why rabbits matter for Nigerian agriculture
Rabbits are increasingly viewed as a strategic small-livestock option for Nigerian households and agribusinesses because they:
- reproduce quickly and can supply meat and breeding stock within months,
- require relatively small space compared with cattle, sheep or goats, and
- can be fed on a range of locally available forages and farm by-products.
For smallholder farmers, especially in peri‑urban and rural areas, rabbitry offers a low-capital entry point into commercial livestock production and a source of high-quality protein for local markets.
Data limitations and policy implications
FAOSTAT notes that rabbit and hare statistics for many countries are based on surveys, expert estimates or imputation where official reports are missing or irregular. This means Nigeria’s 6.14 million-head figure is a best-available estimate rather than a precise headcount.
Agricultural planners and development partners can use these data to:
- target extension services and breeding programmes to states with existing rabbit clusters,
- integrate rabbitry into nutrition and livelihood schemes for youth and women, and
- improve national data collection so future FAO submissions better reflect on‑ground realities.
As global demand for affordable animal protein rises and climate pressures intensify, Nigeria’s position among the world’s largest rabbit-population countries underscores the potential of cuniculture as a component of diversified, climate-resilient livestock systems.
Source: FAOSTAT
