Beef consumption in the United States reached a new high in 2021, when 30 billion pounds were consumed. This is an increase in consumption of about 8.7 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 exceeding 12.6 million metric tons. To keep up with the production demand, the U.S. was home to about 30 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. 21 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 292.5 million kilograms.

This statistic shows the per capita consumption of red meat in the United States from 2010 to 2023, with an estimated figure for 2024, by type. The consumption of beef in the U.S. amounted to 57.6 pounds per capita in 2023, and was estimated to decrease slightly in 2024.

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.

The statistic shows the per capita consumption of boneless red meat in the United States in 2023, by type. According to the report, the U.S. per capita consumption of beef amounted to approximately 55.5 pounds that year.

This statistic shows the per capita consumption of beef in the United States from 2000 to 2024 and includes a forecast from 2025 to 2034. The U.S. per capita consumption of beef amounted to 58.1 pounds in 2023.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Beef by Age: from Age 45 to 54 (CXUBEEFLB0405M) from 1984 to 2023 about meat, age, expenditures, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Beef by Generation: Birth Year from 1981 to 1996 (CXUBEEFLB1608M) from 2019 to 2023 about birth, meat, expenditures, and USA.

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 5.61 U.S. dollars, up from 2.41 U.S. dollars in 2008. Cattle and beef production in the U.S. In 2022, there were almost 29 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 19 thousand U.S. dollars in sales per store per week, compared to approximately 10 thousand dollars for chicken, and less than five thousand dollars for pork. As of 2021, per capita consumption of beef in the United States amounted to about 59 pounds per year.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Beef by Size of Consumer Unit: Two People in Consumer Unit (CXUBEEFLB0504M) from 1984 to 2023 about consumer unit, meat, expenditures, persons, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Beef by Number of Earners: Consumer Units of Two or More People, Two Earners (CXUBEEFLB0706M) from 1984 to 2023 about meat, expenditures, consumer, persons, and USA.

United States Consumer Price: Average: Ground Beef, Lean & Extra Lean data was reported at 5.245 USD/lb in Nov 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.252 USD/lb for Oct 2018. United States Consumer Price: Average: Ground Beef, Lean & Extra Lean data is updated monthly, averaging 2.912 USD/lb from Jan 1991 (Median) to Nov 2018, with 335 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.195 USD/lb in May 2015 and a record low of 1.973 USD/lb in May 1996. United States Consumer Price: Average: Ground Beef, Lean & Extra Lean data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.P001: Consumer Price.

In 2024, the most consumed type of meat in the United States was broiler chicken, at about 102.1 pounds per capita. This figure is expected to increase to around 110.4 pounds per capita by 2034. Chickens in the United States To accommodate the growing demand for chicken among American consumers, there is a rapidly expanding chicken industry in the United States. The overall value of all chickens in America was over 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. In that same year, an individual chicken in the United States was worth 3.32 U.S. dollars. Meat consumption in the United States On average, Americans purchase fresh meat about 27 times per year, compared to only 4.3 times for fresh seafood. A 2018 survey found that nearly half of Americans eat chicken a couple times a week but not every day, while only 9 percent ate chicken on a daily basis. Ready-to-eat meat/poultry is also very popular among consumers in the United States, with about 40 percent of Americans eating ready-to-eat meat at least once a week as of 2017.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Beef by Income Before Taxes: Less Than $70,000 (CXUBEEFLB0211M) from 2003 to 2015 about meat, tax, expenditures, income, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Beef by Deciles of Income Before Taxes: Fifth 10 Percent (41st to 50th Percentile) (CXUBEEFLB1506M) from 2014 to 2023 about meat, percentile, tax, expenditures, income, and USA.

In 2024, the U.S. price for one pound of lean and extra lean ground beef amounted to 7.12 U.S. dollars. While prices per pound were between five and six U.S. dollars in recent years, consumers in the United States typically paid about two U.S. dollars back in the nineties. Ground chuck and sirloin steak Like lean ground beef, the price of other types of meat has also risen in the United States. For example, the U.S. retail price per pound of ground chuck (100% beef) amounted to approximately 5.12 U.S. dollars in 2023 and cost about half that amount 20 years earlier. The price of boneless sirloin steak has likewise doubled: from about four U.S. dollars per pound in the nineties to almost 11 U.S. dollars in 2023. Beef consumption While total beef consumption in the United States had fluctuated slightly at certain intervals over the past decade and a half, the numbers have stayed fairly close to the 26-billion-pound mark . Annual per capita consumption of beef, on the other hand, has dropped considerably. In the early 2000s, the average American consumer typically ate almost 70 pounds of beef per year. By 2019, Americans consumed closer to 55 pounds annually.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Beef by Composition of Consumer Unit: Total Married Couple with Children Consumer Units (CXUBEEFLB0604M) from 1988 to 2023 about married, consumer unit, meat, expenditures, child, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Beef by Income Before Taxes: $70,000 to $99,999 (CXUBEEFLB0220M) from 2015 to 2023 about meat, tax, expenditures, income, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Beef by Race: Black or African American (CXUBEEFLB0905M) from 1984 to 2023 about meat, African-American, expenditures, and USA.

In 2023, around 140 million tons of poultry meat were consumed worldwide, making it the most consumed type of meat globally. Pork was the second most consumed meat worldwide, followed by beef and veal. Leading consumers The per capita consumption of meat is forecast to grow in every part of the world by 2031. OECD countries had the highest per capita consumption of meat from 2019 to 2021, at 69.5 kilograms of retail weight per person. The world average per capita consumption is only about 34.1 kilograms. Shift towards meat substitutes Meat production is a significant greenhouse gas emitter and beef specifically emits more greenhouse gases than any other food product. Because of this and other climate change threats caused by meat production, such as deforestation, meat alternatives have been on the rise. It is projected that by 2040, 25 percent of all “meat” consumed will be vegan meat alternatives and only 40 percent of consumption will be from traditionally produced meat.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Beef by Type of Area: Rural (CXUBEEFLB1805M) from 1984 to 2020 about rural, meat, expenditures, and USA.