India’s Wool Output Falls Despite a Growing Sheep Population

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TL;DR: India produces around 34 million kg of wool annually despite having the world’s second-largest sheep population. Wool output peaked at over 50 million kg in the early 2000s but has declined since. Production is now highly concentrated, with Rajasthan contributing about 48% and Jammu & Kashmir nearly 23%, together accounting for over 70% of output. Ewes generate roughly 72% of wool, yet low productivity and coarse fibre quality have increased dependence on imported fine wool, affecting pastoral livelihoods and domestic value chains.

Context
Wool production occupies a distinctive yet overlooked place in India’s livestock economy. Despite having the world’s second-largest sheep population and being the ninth largest wool-producing nation, domestic wool output, largely coarse in quality, fails to meet industrial requirements, especially for apparel. This mismatch between production, quality, and demand makes wool an important lens for examining structural change, regional disparities, and livelihood transitions within Indian livestock systems.

Who compiles this data?
The data comes from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Its Animal Husbandry Statistics Division runs the Integrated Sample Survey (ISS) every year in rural and urban areas across all states and Union Territories to estimate the production of milk, eggs, meat and wool.

Where can I download clean & structured data related to household assets and liabilities in India?
Clean, structured, and ready-to-use datasets related to the State and Year-wise wool production, yield per season, among other parameters from the basic animal husbandry statistics, can be downloaded from Dataful.

Key Insights

Plenty of Sheep, Shrinking Wool
Wool production in India shows a long phase of gradual expansion followed by a sustained slowdown. Output rose steadily from about 27.5 million kg in the early 1950s to a peak of just over 50 million kg in the early 2000s. Since then, production has stagnated and declined, falling to around 33–35 million kg in recent years. In contrast, when viewed alongside sheep population trends, the wool data reveal a clear productivity concern. Data from the Livestock Census show that India’s sheep numbers have grown from 61.5 million in 2003 to 74 million in 2019. However, wool production has not followed the same trajectory. After peaking in the early 2000s, wool output declined despite a sizeable sheep population.

Ewes alone account for almost three-fourths of total wool production
Adult female sheep (Ewes) dominate wool production in India, generating nearly 72% of total output in 2024–25. The rest is evenly shared by lambs and rams/wethers, each contributing about 14%. This has been more or less the same since 2015-16, where Ewes dominate the wool production. This pattern highlights the importance of mature ewes, their management, health, and reproductive efficiency in maintaining overall production levels.

Rajasthan alone accounts for half of India’s wool production
India’s wool production exhibits an increasingly pronounced regional concentration. In 2024–25, Rajasthan alone accounted for nearly 47.9% of national wool output, underscoring its central role in India’s fibre economy. Jammu & Kashmir emerged as the second-largest producer with a 22.9% share, though at less than half of Rajasthan’s contribution. Together, these two states now supply more than 70% of the country’s wool, leaving the remainder of production thinly spread across other regions. Gujarat stands out as the only other state with a meaningful contribution, marginally exceeding a 5% share.

A comparison with earlier data reveals how sharply this concentration has intensified over time. In 2012–13, Rajasthan’s share stood at 30.4%, while Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir followed closely with 17.4% and 16.7% respectively. Over the past decade, Karnataka’s relative importance has diminished (in 2024-25, it stood at 1.9%), while Rajasthan has significantly expanded its dominance, and Jammu & Kashmir has consolidated its position.

Why does it matter?
These trends matter because India’s wool supply is increasingly fragile and uneven. Despite a large sheep population, wool output is stagnating, concentrated in a few states and heavily dependent on mature ewes. This increases vulnerability to regional shocks, climate stress, and disease. At the same time, low-quality domestic wool forces imports for the apparel industry, thereby weakening value chains and pastoral livelihoods. Addressing productivity, quality, and regional balance is essential for sustaining wool-based rural economies.

Key numbers

Note: Featured image generated with ChatGPT