| Number of Milk Cattle, Australia, '000 | ||||||||||||||
| Year | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 |
| Number | 4890 | 4802 | 4566 | 4746 | 4830 | 4932 | 5059 | 5118 | 4994 | 4846 | 4877 | 4901 | 5046 | 5076 |
| Year | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 |
| Number | 4935 | 4842 | 4688 | 4615 | 4489 | 4335 | 4233 | 4112 | 4007 | 3978 | 3693 | 3667 | 3585 | 3265 |
| Year | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 |
| Number | 3062 | 2867 | 2830 | 2799 | 2783 | 2746 | 2805 | 2805 | 2759 | 2639 | 2581 | 2546 | 2519 | 2430 |
| Year | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005* |
| Number | 2432 | 2504 | 2678 | 2740 | 2808 | 2965 | 3076 | 3220 | 3140 | 3217 | 3131 | 3049 | 3055 | 3056 |
| * | ||||||||||||||
| Year | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 1019 |
| Number | 2778 | 2663 | 2516 | 2612 | 2542 | 2570 | 2733 | 2884 | 2807 | 2811 | 2665 | 2606 | 2606 | 2341 |
| Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 | 2033 |
| Number | 2361 | 2383 | 2148 | 2062 | 1330 | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Source: | ABS, | |||||||||||||
| 2024 sourced from Australian Dairy Industrry,In Focus 2024;includes milking cows only | ||||||||||||||