How much do feral animals cost Australian agriculture each year?

Estimates vary by study and year, but established vertebrate pest animals are commonly estimated to cost Australian agricultural producers around $1 billion a year, and that figure does not include weeds. By individual species, the most cited national estimates are roughly $156 million for feral pigs (ABARES), $198 million for foxes (ABARES), $89 million for wild dogs, $69 million in production losses for feral deer, and over $200 million for rabbits. Because methodologies differ, the figures below are each attributed to their source.

Which feral animal causes the most agricultural damage in Australia?

On the most cited national estimates, rabbits (over $200 million) and foxes (around $198 million) sit at the top, closely followed by feral pigs (around $156 million per ABARES). The ranking depends on what each study counts: pure production losses, control costs, or both. Locally the picture changes. In North West NSW, for example, feral pig damage alone has been estimated at over $62 million per year.

Why do feral animal cost estimates vary so much?

Different studies measure different things. Some count only direct production losses such as killed lambs or destroyed crops. Others add the cost of control programmes, the value of management time, and flow-on biosecurity risk. Studies also use different years, regions, and population assumptions. That is why a single species can be cited at different figures in different sources. The honest approach is to attribute each figure to its source and year, which is what this page does.

What is the cost of doing nothing about feral animals?

Feral animals breed and reinvade, so the cost of inaction compounds. A feral pig population can recover within 12 to 18 months if control stops. Foxes can kill up to 30 percent of lambs in affected flocks. Uncontrolled populations also raise the biosecurity stakes: a feral pig reservoir increases the risk and potential scale of an exotic disease outbreak such as foot and mouth disease, which modelling has put in the billions of dollars. For most individual properties, a year of unchecked losses exceeds the cost of a control programme.

How much does the government spend on feral animal control compared to farmers?

Farmers carry the overwhelming majority of the cost. One analysis cited that government spending on pest control totals roughly $24 million per year across state and federal programmes, while farmers spend around $3.8 billion. That makes the government contribution a small fraction of what producers spend themselves. Government programmes such as the NSW Feral Pig and Pest Program and Local Land Services baiting subsidies help, but the bulk of the burden sits with landholders.

Cost of Feral Animals to Australian Agriculture

Feral animals cost Australian agriculture hundreds of millions of dollars a year. By species, the most cited estimates are: feral pigs around $156 million (ABARES), foxes around $198 million (ABARES), wild dogs around $89 million, feral deer around $69 million in production losses, and rabbits over $200 million. Established vertebrate pests together are estimated to cost Australian agricultural producers around $1 billion a year. Estimates vary by study and year, so each figure below is attributed to its source. The common thread is that the cost of doing nothing almost always exceeds the cost of control.

Why This Page Exists

Feral animal damage figures get quoted everywhere, often without a source and sometimes inconsistently. This page is our attempt to compile the most cited Australian estimates in one place, with each figure attributed to its source and, where possible, its year. We update it as new data is published.

A note on honesty: these figures vary between studies because they measure different things (production losses only, versus production losses plus control costs plus management time) and use different years and regions. We have not tried to pick a single “true” number for each species. Instead we attribute each figure so you can judge it. Where a national figure and a regional figure differ, both are shown.

National Cost by Species

Species	Most cited estimate	What it measures	Source
Feral pigs	Around $156 million per year	Agricultural damage and control costs, national	ABARES
Foxes	Around $198 million per year	Agricultural damage, national (mostly lamb predation)	ABARES
Rabbits	Over $200 million per year	Agricultural damage, national	ABARES and Invasive Animals CRC
Wild dogs	Around $89 million per year	Lost production and management costs, national	Industry and government estimates
Feral deer	Around $69 million per year in production losses; $91.3 million broader cost	Production losses and wider community cost	Centre for Invasive Species Solutions
All established vertebrate pests	Around $1 billion per year	Combined cost to agricultural producers, excludes weeds	ABARES and McLeod

The Population Behind the Numbers

Species	Estimated population or impact	Source
Feral pigs	Around 24 million across roughly 45 percent of the continent	ABARES and National Feral Pig Action Plan
Foxes	Can kill up to 30 percent of lambs in badly affected flocks; predation averages around 7 percent of the lamb drop	NSW DPI and PestSmart
Feral deer	Six or more species, populations expanding rapidly across NSW	National Feral Deer Action Plan
Rabbits	Widespread, one of Australia’s most destructive pests more than 160 years after introduction	ABARES

The Regional Picture: North West NSW

National figures hide where the pain actually lands. In North West NSW, feral pig damage alone has been estimated at over $62 million per year. NSW Local Land Services research has put average feral pig damage at around $65 per animal per year, and found that when baiting and aerial shooting achieved a 60 percent population reduction, the net economic benefit was around $23 million across the region. That is the return-on-control case in a single number: control pays.

The Biosecurity Multiplier

The production-loss figures above do not capture the largest risk, which is exotic disease. Feral pigs and deer are potential reservoirs and vectors for diseases that threaten Australia’s livestock industries. The National Feral Deer Action Plan notes that a small foot and mouth disease outbreak (3 months) could cost around $7.1 billion, while a large outbreak (12 months) could reach $16 billion. Every uncontrolled feral population increases that reservoir. Control is not only about this year’s lamb drop; it is about keeping the door shut on a national-scale event.

Who Pays: Farmers vs Government

The cost of feral animals falls overwhelmingly on landholders. One analysis cited that government spending on pest control totals roughly $24 million per year across state and federal programmes, while farmers spend around $3.8 billion. Government programmes such as the NSW Feral Pig and Pest Program (part of a broader $1 billion biosecurity investment) and Local Land Services baiting subsidies help reduce the burden, but they do not remove it. For most producers, pest control is a direct cost to the business, which is also why it is generally tax deductible (see our guide on tax deductions for feral animal control in NSW).

The Bottom Line: The Cost of Doing Nothing

The reason these numbers matter is simple. Feral animals breed fast and reinvade, so the cost of doing nothing compounds year on year. A feral pig population recovers within 12 to 18 months if control stops. Foxes return to lambing paddocks every season. Put a single year of losses on your own property against the cost of a control programme, and the maths almost always favours acting. For what control actually costs, see our guide on how much feral animal control costs in NSW.

Sources and Attribution

ABARES (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences): cost of established pest animals and weeds to Australian agricultural producers.
National Feral Pig Action Plan (feralpigs.com.au): feral pig population and damage.
National Feral Deer Action Plan (feraldeerplan.org.au): feral deer cost and disease modelling.
Centre for Invasive Species Solutions: feral deer production loss estimates.
NSW Department of Primary Industries: fox predation on lambs.
NSW Local Land Services: regional feral pig damage and control benefit (North West NSW), Feral Pig and Pest Program.
Invasive Animals CRC: rabbit damage estimates.

Figures are presented as published by each source. Where estimates differ between studies, this reflects different methodologies and years rather than an error. If you rely on a specific figure for a grant application, insurance claim, or formal report, cite the primary source directly and check its publication date.

The True Cost of Feral Animals to Australian Agriculture