At a glance
- Figures here are from the 20th Livestock Census (2019); the 21st census was launched on 25 October 2024, and its results are not yet published (October 2026).
- Rank among states in 2019: first in goats, camels and donkeys; second in buffaloes and in total livestock (after Uttar Pradesh); third in horses and ponies; fourth in sheep; sixth in cattle.
- Milk: second after Uttar Pradesh, with 36.74 of India's 247.87 million tonnes (14.82%) in 2024-25.
- Wool: first among states, with 16.54 of India's 34.57 million kg (47.85%) in 2024-25.
- No buffalo breed has Rajasthan as its home tract; the Murrah and Surti buffaloes are the main ones reared.
- Rajasthan holds 64% of India's pure Tharparkar cattle (96,614 of 1,51,056; breed report on the 2019 census).
Livestock Census 2019 (20th)
Over 2007 to 2019, cattle rose 15% and buffaloes 23.45%, while sheep fell 29.37% and goats 3.08%.
| Animal | Rajasthan, 2019 | Share of India | Change since 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total livestock | 56.8 million | −1.66% | |
| Cattle | 13.9 million; 83.33% indigenous | +4.41% | |
| Buffalo | 13.7 million | 12.47% | +5.53% |
| Sheep | 7.9 million | 10.64% | −12.95% |
| Goat | 20.84 million | 14.00% | −3.81% |
| Camel | 2.13 lakh | About 85% (of India's 2.5 lakh) | −34.69% (3.26 lakh in 2012) |
| Horses and ponies | 0.34 lakh | −10.85% | |
| Donkey | 0.23 lakh | −71.31% |
Main districts by animal
District figures are from the 2019 census, on the 33-district map of that time; the breed home tracts below are on the same map. Eight districts made in 2023 were kept in December 2024, so several of the districts named are smaller today.
| Animal | Largest numbers (district, lakh) | Densest (per sq km) |
|---|---|---|
| Cattle | Bikaner (11.95), Jodhpur (10.69), Barmer (9.05) | Banswara (145), Dungarpur (114), Pratapgarh (84) |
| Buffalo | Jaipur (12.14), Alwar (11.45), Bharatpur (7.60) | Dausa (153), Bharatpur (150), Alwar (137) |
| Sheep | Barmer (10.13), Jaisalmer (8.37), Pali (7.65) | Pali (62), Ajmer (43), Jalore (39) |
| Goat | Barmer (29.47), Jodhpur (16.41), Udaipur (13.60) | Dungarpur (213), Banswara (159), Sikar (119) |
Cattle breeds
| Breed | Home tract in Rajasthan | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Rathi | Bikaner, Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh and Jaisalmer; most in Lunkaransar tehsil of Bikaner | Milk |
| Tharparkar | Jodhpur, Barmer and Jaisalmer; some in Suratgarh tehsil of Sri Ganganagar; NDDB adds Kutch in Gujarat | Milk and draught |
| Nagori | Nagaur; also Jodhpur and Nokha tehsil of Bikaner | Draught (bullocks) |
| Sanchori | Jalore | Milk |
| Nari | Sirohi and Pali, with Sabarkantha and Banaskantha in Gujarat; reared by the Raika community | Milk and draught |
| Kankrej | Barmer and Jodhpur; the main tract is in Gujarat | |
| Malvi | Jhalawar and nearby areas; the home tract is the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh | Draught |
| Hariana | Jodhpur, Alwar and Bharatpur; the main tract is in Haryana | |
| Mewati | Alwar and Bharatpur; also Haryana and Uttar Pradesh | |
| Gir | Reared here; Rajasthan has 16.69% of India's pure Gir cattle (breed report on the 2019 census); the home tract is Kathiawar in Gujarat |
Sheep breeds
| Breed | Home tract | Fleece and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marwari | Jodhpur, Jalore, Nagaur, Pali, Sirohi and Barmer; also Gujarat | White fleece, not very dense; 18% of the state's sheep (14.26 lakh pure; breed report on the 2019 census) |
| Chokla | Churu, Sikar and Nagaur | Dense, relatively fine coat |
| Jaisalmeri | Jaisalmer, and nearby parts of Jodhpur, Pali and Barmer | Tall animals; white fleece of medium carpet quality; head without wool |
| Malpura | Jaipur, Tonk, Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Kota and Bundi | Extremely coarse, hairy fleece; face, belly and legs bare |
| Magra | Bikaner, Nagaur, Jaisalmer and Churu | White, lustrous fleece of medium carpet quality |
| Sonadi | Udaipur, Dungarpur, Chittorgarh and Banswara | Coarse, hairy fleece; somewhat smaller than Malpura |
| Pugal | Bikaner and Jaisalmer | Dense white fleece of medium carpet quality; black face |
| Nali | Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Churu, Sikar and Jhunjhunu | Coarse, dense, long-stapled fleece |
| Kheri | Tonk, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Jaipur, Nagaur, Pali and Jodhpur | Evolved by Raika pastoralists; ewes are comparatively good milk yielders |
| Avishaan | Rajasthan; a synthetic breed of ICAR-CSWRI, Avikanagar, released on 4 January 2016 and registered on 12 November 2025 | Prolific three-breed cross: 50% Patanwadi, 37.5% Malpura, 12.5% Garole |
Goat breeds
| Breed | Home tract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marwari | Jodhpur, Pali, Nagaur, Bikaner, Jalore, Jaisalmer and Barmer | Mostly black with a long shaggy coat; 15% of the state's goats (31.90 lakh pure; breed report on the 2019 census) |
| Sirohi | Sirohi district and the Aravalli hills of central and southern Rajasthan; also Gujarat | Brown with light or dark brown patches; wattles on most animals |
| Jakhrana | Jakhrana village and a few villages around it in Behror tehsil (then Alwar district, now Kotputli-Behror) | Large animals; black with white spots on ears and muzzle |
| Barbari | Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan |
Other goat breeds of Rajasthan: Sojat (Pali, Jodhpur, Nagaur and Jaisalmer), Karauli and Gujari, all three registered in 2022 for meat and milk, and Totapuri, registered in 2026; Battisi, also registered in 2026, is shared with Uttar Pradesh.
Camel
Nine camel breeds are registered for India; six have Rajasthan as their home tract, five of them Rajasthan alone.
| Breed | Home tract | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Bikaneri | Rajasthan | Heavy; multi-purpose |
| Jaisalmeri | Rajasthan | Light; riding and racing |
| Jalori | Rajasthan | |
| Marwari | Rajasthan | |
| Mewari | Rajasthan | |
| Mewati | Rajasthan and Haryana |
The Rajasthan Camel (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act prohibits the slaughter of camels and regulates their temporary migration or export from the state.
The camel is Rajasthan's state animal; see the wildlife notes.
Horse
- Marwari: the horse breed with Rajasthan alone as its home tract.
- Kachchhi-Sindhi: a horse breed with Gujarat and Rajasthan as its home tract.
Research institutes and universities
| Institution | Place | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| ICAR National Research Centre on Camel | Jorbeer, Bikaner | A Project Directorate on Camel from 5 July 1984; made a National Research Centre on 20 September 1995 |
| ICAR Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute | Avikanagar, Malpura tehsil, Tonk district | Sheep and wool research |
| Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (RAJUVAS) | Bikaner | The state's first veterinary university, in existence from 13 May 2010 |
| Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (Jobner), Jaipur | Jobner, Jaipur district | The state's second veterinary university, set up by an Act of 2023 (Act No. 27 of 2023) |
Cattle and camel fairs (Pushkar, Tilwara, Parbatsar and others) are in the fairs and festivals notes; Pabuji, worshipped as the camels' deity, is in the folk deities notes.
Remember: often mixed up
- Native cattleNDDB's 2016 profile counts three major native breeds (Rathi, Tharparkar, Nagori); NBAGR's registry gives Rajasthan alone as the home tract of four, adding Sanchori · Kankrej, Nari, Mewati, Hariana and Sahiwal are shared with other states
- Reared here, not from hereGir is from Gujarat's Kathiawar, Malvi from Madhya Pradesh's Malwa, Murrah buffalo from Haryana, Surti buffalo from Gujarat, Jamunapari goat from Uttar Pradesh
- Marwaria sheep, goat, camel and horse breed all carry the name · the goat, camel and horse are Rajasthan's alone, the sheep is shared with Gujarat
- Jaisalmeriboth a sheep breed and a camel breed
- Camel Act2015 is in its title, but it is Act No. 2 of 2016 · the President assented on 25 February 2016
Test yourself: asked in exams
REET 2024 Level 1 · Q149
Which of the following is a good breed of goat ?
- (1)Murrah
- (2)Gir
- (3)Sahiwal
- (4)Jamunapari
Show answer
✓ (4) Jamunapari
See the full paperRAS Prelims 2023 · Q75
National Research Centre on camel is located at
- (1)Jodhpur
- (2)Avikanagar
- (3)Bikaner
- (4)Ajmer
Show answer
✓ (3) Bikaner
See the full paperRAS Prelims 2023 · Q78
A bill was passed by Rajasthan Assembly in 2023 to establish second Rajasthan Veterinary and Animal Sciences University at
- (1)Ganganagar
- (2)Jobner
- (3)Ajmer
- (4)Jodhpur
Show answer
✓ (2) Jobner
See the full paperCET Graduation Level 2024 · Q137
In which of the following, Rajasthan is the largest producer in the country?
- (1)Wheat
- (2)Rice
- (3)Wool
- (4)Tea
Show answer
✓ (3) Wool
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