There are an estimated one billion goats in the world, as of 2017. Researching goat demography is quite tricky and more involved than I anticipated. There are multiple reports tracking goats, goat population density, detailing the consumption of their secondary products (wool, milk), and the (cringe) details of the goat meat industry.* The majority of goats live in Asia, with (as of 2010) China boasting the most goats of any country (17.3%) followed by India (14.6%) and Pakistan (6.6%). Goats are great to keep for not just their milk and wool products, but they are also great at landscaping (“goatscaping) and generally fun to be around.

Three of the world’s billion goats, hanging out in Delhi, India 2011.

*I won’t eat goat meat anymore. I’m not a vegetarian, but I am highly selective about the meat I do eat and my love and fascination with goats exceeds my appetite for them.