The total beef production in the United States is estimated to be 26.96 billion pounds in 2023, down from 28.29 billion pounds in the previous year. Over the last two decades, the total U.S. beef production has fluctuated slightly but remained stable overall.

Beef retail in the United States Beef has the highest retail sales of any fresh meat in the United States, as of 2021. In that year, over 30 billion U.S. dollars worth of fresh beef were sold in the United States. The retail price for 100 percent ground beef in the United States was 4.8 U.S. dollars per pound in 2022, up from 3.95 U.S. dollars in 2020. Beef brisket, on the other hand, was priced on average around 8.84 U.S. dollars per pound in major grocery retailers.

U.S. beef consumption The United States consumes more beef than any other country in the world. Consumption of beef amounted to around 59 pounds per capita on an annual basis. This was projected to decrease slowly until 2032.

Beef consumption in the United States reached a new high in 2021, when ** billion pounds were consumed. This is an increase in consumption of about *** percent compared to the previous year and the highest consumption recorded during the period under consideration. United States beef production The United States is the world’s top producer of beef and veal. In 2022, production exceeded **** million metric tons. To keep up with the production demand, the U.S. was home to about ** million beef cows in 2022, more than three times the number of dairy cows recorded that year. The shift towards plant-based foods There is a large trend among Generation Z consumers to adopt a more vegetarian or vegan diet. Over half of Gen Z consumers are mostly vegetarian, at a minimum, as of 2022. ** percent, however, are completely vegan, meaning they eat no animal products at all. With this shift away from animal proteins, it is no surprise that the consumption of meat substitutes is expected to exponentially grow within the next several years. By 2027, U.S. meat substitute consumption is forecast to reach ***** million kilograms.

The retail price of 100% ground beef in the United States has risen significantly in the last two decades. In 2024, a pound of ground beef cost **** U.S. dollars, up from **** U.S. dollars in 2008. Cattle and beef production in the U.S. In 2022, there were almost ** million beef cows in the United States. Compared to sheep, pigs, and chickens, cows are very expensive to raise and require much more water, feed, and land per calorie generated. Though beef production fluctuates from year to year, there has been a positive trend in beef production in the last several years in the United States. U.S. beef market In terms of retail sales, beef is the leading type of fresh meat in the United States. On average, beef generates about *********** U.S. dollars in sales per store per week, compared to approximately *********** dollars for chicken, and less than ************* dollars for pork. As of 2021, per capita consumption of beef in the United States amounted to about ** pounds per year.

The volume of global fish production amounted to 1906 million metric tons in 2024, up from 186.6 million metric tons in 2023. Fish is one of the most widely consumed foods in the world, and it is only becoming more popular over time. Global seafood industry The seafood market worldwide is expected to expand considerably over the next several years. In 2017 the global seafood market was valued at 125.2 billion U.S. dollars, and is expected to grow to 155.32 billion dollars by 2023. The country that catches the highest volume of fish is China, followed by Indonesia and India. China also is home to the largest fish and seafood processing industry in the world, generating 31.6 billion U.S. dollars of revenue in 2018. Seafood consumption in the United States Fish is widely available in the United States, and is often considered a healthier source of protein than red meat. The average American consumed about 14.7 pounds of fish and shellfish in 2016, down from 15.5 pounds in the previous year. Most of that consumption consisted of shrimp, salmon, and canned tuna.

In the U.S., there have been approximately three times more beef cows than dairy cows each year since 2001. As of 2024, it was estimated that there were about 28 million beef cows and only about 9.3 million dairy cows. Beef vs. dairy cows Both beef and dairy cows are bred for their respective purposes and farmers often look for different qualities in each. Dairy cows are often bigger, as they can produce a larger volume of milk. Beef cows on the other hand are generally shorter and there is more emphasis on their muscle growth, among other qualities. In 2022, over 28 billion pounds of beef were produced in the United States. U.S. milk production and consumption The United States was among the top consumers of milk worldwide in 2022, surpassed only by India and the European Union. The annual consumption of milk in the U.S. that year was just under 21 million metric tons. To keep up with this level of consumption, milk production in the U.S. has increased by over 60 billion pounds since 1999 and is expected to exceed 228 billion pounds by 2023. California and Wisconsin were the top producing states as of 2022, producing about 41.8 and 31.9 billion pounds of milk, respectively.