Insights into global trends in meat production

World meat production reached 357 million tonnes in 2021, up 53%, or 124 million tonnes compared with 2000. From 2020 to 2021, production increased by 4% which was the fastest over the 2000–2021 period.

With 34% of the global production in 2021, chicken meat showed the largest growth in absolute and relative terms since 2000 (+107%, or 63 million tonnes) and was the most produced type of meat in 2021. Pig meat also represented 34% of the total in 2021, compared to 39% in 2000 and 32% in 2020. African swine fever started affecting Asian countries in late 2018 and continued in 2019 and 2020. It resulted in an 11 million tonnes decrease in world pig meat production between 2018 and 2019, with China being hardest hit, and kept constraining production in 2020. However, pig meat production rebounded in 2021 to 120 million tonnes (+11%) – above the 2018 level – and drove the strong increase in global meat production mentioned above. The share of cattle meat dropped from 24% in 2000 to 20% in 2020.

The top three producing countries accounted for 60% of world pig meat production and 41–42% of global chicken and cattle meat production in 2021. China and the United States of America are among the three largest producers for each main meat type: in particular, China alone accounted for 45% of world pig meat in 2021, and the United States of America produced 17 to 18% of world chicken and cattle meat. The difference between the two countries is that meat production in China is mostly for the domestic market, whereas a significant share of American meat production (especially in the case of chicken) is exported.

November 30, 2023/ FAO. 2023. World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook 2023. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc8166en