Fur farming in data

How quickly is fur production shrinking, and where is it still happening?

Fur farming has contracted sharply over the past decade. Production of mink, fox and raccoon dog pelts has fallen fast, with closures driven by collapsing demand, policy bans and (in some countries) major disease shocks. This page summarises the latest production trends using national-level statistics compiled in one dataset.

Jump to:

  • At a glance

  • Global production (all species)

  • Mink production

  • Fox production

  • Raccoon dog production

  • EU vs China vs rest of world

  • Countries where production has ended

  • Data notes and sources

SIMILAR PAGES

  • Fur farming brief

  • Biosecurity brief

  • Environmental impacts of fur

  • EU brief

Global production (all species)

This section shows the combined total across mink, fox and raccoon dog production.

Key points

  • Total production peaks in the mid-2010s and then falls rapidly.

  • The sharpest declines occur in the early 2020s.

  • The mix of species changes over time, but the direction is consistently down.


  




    

  
  

  



  
    
    


  
  







  

    

    
      
    
    

  

  

    

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      

    

  
  

  



  
    
    


  
  







  

    

    
      
    
    

  

  

    

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      




  
 Mink Fur Farming: General Trends
  • Global peak: 2014, with 113,458,000 minks produced.
  • Massive decline post-2014: By 2023, production fell to 14,068,000 — an 88% decrease from the peak.
  • COVID-era crash: A sharp drop is seen from 2019 to 2021, with production nearly halved each year.
 Top Producers and Changes
  • China:
    • Absolute leader until 2019, peaking at 60,000,000 in 2014.
    • Drastic decline after: only 3,880,000 in 2023.
  • EU Countries (notably Denmark, Poland, Netherlands):
    • Denmark: Peaked in 2014 at 17,888,000, then fell to 0 in 2021, slight bounce  in 2023.
    • Poland: 2nd highest in EU; also declined from 9,500,000 (2014) to 3,000,000 (2023).
    • Netherlands: Consistent until 2020 ban, then 0 thereafter.
 European Union (EU Total)
  • Peaked in 2014 at 42,066,000.
  • Down to 6,368,000 in 2023 — a drop of 85%.
  • Major reductions due to legislation banning fur farming, collapsing auction prices for pelts and COVID-19-related culling (esp. Denmark).
Countries with Production Ceasing
  • Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden (briefly), Ireland, Italy, Estonia: All show 0 production from 2021/2022 onward.
  • Reflects regulatory bans or industry collapse.
Exceptions / Growth Trends
  • Russia: Though fluctuating, shows a resurgence in 2023 to 1,046,000.
  • Ukraine & Belarus: Moderate stability, with Ukraine rebounding in 2021 before dropping again.
  • Bulgaria: Emerged after 2015; peaked at 150,000 in 2021.