Pig Facts
The pig is a domesticated, hoofed mammal that eats both plants and animals, also called a hog or swine, and is raised mostly for its meat, pork.
- Class
- Mammal
- Scientific name
- Sus scrofa domesticus
About the pig
Pigs were tamed twice during the Neolithic, once in China and once in the Near East, close to the Tigris Basin. When the Near Eastern pigs reached Europe, they mixed heavily with wild boar but kept their farm-animal traits. Experts still disagree on whether the pig is its own species or a subspecies of the wild boar, Sus scrofa.
Today farms raise about 1.5 billion pigs every year, yielding roughly 120 million tonnes of meat, much of it cured as bacon. China produces the most pork. The European Union ranks second and the United States third. Pig skin also becomes leather, and some pigs live as pets. The animal has shown up in art and stories since the Neolithic, and Bologna celebrates its pork products.
Did you know?
- Besides pig, the animal also goes by the names hog and swine.
- Pigs appear in both children's and adult literature.
- The plural of swine is simply swine.
Questions about the pig
Where were pigs first domesticated?
Pigs were domesticated twice, separately, in China and in the Near East near the Tigris Basin.
Which country produces the most pork?
China leads the world in pork, with the European Union second and the United States third.
Sources
- Wikidata Q787, checked October 8, 2026
- Wikipedia: Pig, checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.