Over one hundred billion birds a year fuel a global poultry industry that is a staggering, complex machine, feeding nations and economies from America’s record consumption to Brazil’s export dominance and India’s rapid growth.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, global chicken meat production totaled 137.3 million metric tons, a 2.5% increase from the previous year
- Global broiler production reached 102 billion birds in 2023, up from 99 billion in 2022
- The United States produced 22.1 million metric tons of chicken meat in 2022, accounting for 16% of global output
- In 2022, global per capita chicken meat consumption averaged 15.6 kg, up 1.2% from 2021
- The United States consumed 49.2 kg of chicken per capita in 2022, highest globally
- China's per capita poultry consumption reached 15.8 kg in 2022
- In 2022, global poultry meat exports reached 14.2 million metric tons, led by Brazil with 4.8 million tons
- United States exported 3.9 million metric tons of chicken in 2022
- Brazil held 34% of global poultry exports in 2023 at 5.1 million tons
- Global poultry industry valued at $350 billion in 2022
- Brazil poultry sector contributed 4.5% to GDP in 2022 via exports
- US poultry employment supported 1.2 million jobs in 2022
- Global poultry antibiotic market declined 15% to $1.2 billion in 2022 due to regulations
- Poultry industry emitted 1.2 billion tons CO2 equivalent in 2022, 2% of global total
- 70% of global poultry farms adopted precision feeding by 2023, reducing waste 20%
The global poultry industry grew significantly in 2022, led by major producers and rising consumption.
Consumption
- In 2022, global per capita chicken meat consumption averaged 15.6 kg, up 1.2% from 2021
- The United States consumed 49.2 kg of chicken per capita in 2022, highest globally
- China's per capita poultry consumption reached 15.8 kg in 2022
- Brazil's chicken consumption was 52.3 kg per capita in 2022
- EU average chicken consumption stood at 24.5 kg per person in 2022
- India's per capita poultry meat intake was 3.4 kg in 2023, growing rapidly
- Global egg consumption totaled 1,100 eggs per capita annually in high-income countries in 2022
- Mexico consumed 38.5 kg chicken per capita in 2022
- Russia's poultry consumption reached 28.7 kg per capita in 2022
- Japan's egg consumption averaged 320 eggs per person in 2022
- Indonesia's chicken consumption grew to 5.2 kg per capita in 2022
- Thailand per capita poultry intake was 23.1 kg in 2022
- Global fast food chicken consumption accounts for 40% of total in urban areas
- South Korea consumed 14.6 kg chicken per capita in 2022
- Philippines egg consumption reached 180 eggs per capita in 2023
- Iran's poultry consumption was 18.5 kg per capita in 2022
- Egypt's per capita chicken consumption stood at 12.3 kg in 2022
- Vietnam consumed 12.8 kg poultry per capita in 2022
- Australia's chicken consumption averaged 47.2 kg per capita in 2022
- Global organic poultry consumption grew 12% to 2.5 million tons in 2022
- Saudi Arabia's per capita consumption reached 45.6 kg chicken in 2022
- Poland consumed 27.4 kg poultry per capita in 2022
- Turkey's domestic consumption was 22.1 kg per capita in 2022
- Argentina chicken intake averaged 38.9 kg per capita in 2022
- South Africa's per capita consumption was 40.2 kg in 2023
- Global halal poultry consumption exceeded 25 million tons in 2022
Consumption Interpretation
From Brazil's featherweight-free diets to India's fledgling but soaring appetites, the global dinner plate has clearly declared poultry its undisputed sovereign, though national loyalties vary from America's wing-fueled fervor to the European Union's more moderate pecking order.
Economics
- Global poultry industry valued at $350 billion in 2022
- Brazil poultry sector contributed 4.5% to GDP in 2022 via exports
- US poultry employment supported 1.2 million jobs in 2022
- Global feed costs for poultry reached $200 billion in 2022
- China's poultry market size hit $150 billion in 2022
- EU poultry industry turnover was €120 billion in 2022
- India poultry sector grew at 10% CAGR to $20 billion in 2023
- Average broiler farmgate price globally was $1.50/kg in 2022
- Russia poultry production value exceeded $10 billion in 2022
- Mexico poultry exports generated $1.5 billion revenue in 2022
- Thailand poultry industry employed 1 million people in 2022
- Global poultry processing equipment market valued $5.2 billion in 2022
- Poland poultry exports worth €3.5 billion in 2022
- Iran poultry sector output value $8 billion in 2022
- South Africa poultry market size $4 billion in 2023
- Vietnam poultry industry CAGR 7% to $6 billion by 2022
- Global egg market revenue $90 billion in 2022
- Argentina poultry sector contributed 1.2% to agribusiness GDP in 2022
- Philippines poultry investments reached $1 billion in 2023
- Turkey poultry exports generated $1.2 billion in 2022
- Australia poultry farm cash income averaged $500k per farm in 2022
- Saudi Arabia poultry market valued $5 billion in 2022
- Ukraine poultry economic losses from war $2 billion in 2022
- Global poultry genetics market $4.8 billion in 2022
- Japan poultry retail prices averaged 800 JPY/kg in 2022
- Indonesia poultry sector GDP contribution 1.5% in 2022
Economics Interpretation
With a $350 billion industry proving you can count your chickens before they hatch, the numbers reveal a world that not only runs on coffee but on a vast, interconnected network of feathers, feed, and fortunes, from Brazil's GDP boost to Ukraine's tragic losses.
Production
- In 2022, global chicken meat production totaled 137.3 million metric tons, a 2.5% increase from the previous year
- Global broiler production reached 102 billion birds in 2023, up from 99 billion in 2022
- The United States produced 22.1 million metric tons of chicken meat in 2022, accounting for 16% of global output
- Brazil's poultry production hit 14.9 million metric tons in 2022, driven by exports
- In 2023, India's poultry meat production grew to 4.8 million metric tons, a 8% year-on-year rise
- Global turkey meat production was 5.6 million metric tons in 2022
- China's chicken production reached 24.5 million metric tons in 2022, the highest globally
- EU-27 broiler slaughter volume was 5.2 billion heads in 2022
- Global duck meat production stood at 4.8 million metric tons in 2021
- Russia produced 4.7 million metric tons of poultry meat in 2022
- Mexico's poultry production increased to 3.6 million metric tons in 2023
- Global egg production reached 88.2 million metric tons in 2022
- Indonesia's chicken meat output was 2.9 million metric tons in 2022
- Thailand produced 1.4 million metric tons of poultry meat in 2022
- Japan's broiler production was 2.4 million metric tons in 2022
- Global goose meat production totaled 0.8 million metric tons in 2022
- Argentina's poultry sector produced 2.2 million metric tons in 2022
- South Africa's chicken production reached 1.2 million metric tons in 2023
- Iran's poultry meat production was 2.5 million metric tons in 2022
- Egypt produced 1.6 million metric tons of poultry meat in 2022
- Global layer flock size was approximately 8.2 billion hens in 2023
- Vietnam's poultry production hit 1.3 million metric tons in 2022
- Philippines chicken output grew to 1.7 million metric tons in 2023
- Turkey's domestic poultry production was 2.3 million metric tons in 2022
- Australia's broiler production reached 1.3 million metric tons in 2022
- Global hatchery chick placements for broilers exceeded 110 billion in 2023
- Poland's poultry meat production was 2.7 million metric tons in 2022
- Ukraine produced 1.1 million metric tons before disruptions in 2022
- Canada's chicken production totaled 1.4 million metric tons in 2022
- Global table egg production layers numbered 7.9 billion in 2022
Production Interpretation
The world is scrambling to keep pace with its own appetite, producing over a hundred billion clucking careers annually, yet somehow the chicken still crosses every road on the planet to get to our plates.
Sustainability
- Global poultry antibiotic market declined 15% to $1.2 billion in 2022 due to regulations
- Poultry industry emitted 1.2 billion tons CO2 equivalent in 2022, 2% of global total
- 70% of global poultry farms adopted precision feeding by 2023, reducing waste 20%
- Water usage in poultry production averaged 7,000 liters per ton of meat in 2022
- Global shift to antibiotic-free poultry reached 25% of production in 2023
- EU poultry carbon footprint reduced 18% since 2010 to 2.5 kg CO2/kg meat in 2022
- Brazil's poultry methane emissions totaled 150 million tons CO2e in 2022
- 85% of US broilers raised antibiotic-free by 2023
- Global poultry manure recycling rate 60%, producing 500 million tons fertilizer annually
- China's poultry waste-to-energy projects generated 10 TWh electricity in 2022
- India poultry solar-powered farms increased 40% to 5,000 units in 2023
- Litter reuse in global broilers reduced ammonia emissions 30% in 2022
- Mexico's organic poultry production grew 25% to 0.2 million tons in 2022
- Global poultry welfare standards adopted by 50% of producers by 2023
- Thailand's cage-free egg transition reached 15% in 2022
- Russia's feed efficiency improved 5% to 1.6 kg feed/kg gain in 2022
- Poland reduced water use 12% per kg poultry via tech in 2022
- Vietnam's biogas from poultry waste covered 20% of rural energy needs in 2022
- Global slow-growing broiler adoption 10%, cutting energy 15% in 2023
- South Africa's precision livestock farming in poultry saved 10% feed in 2023
- Iran's water recycling in poultry plants reached 40% in 2022
- EU banned battery cages for hens in 2012, 100% compliance by 2022
- Global poultry nitrogen surplus reduced 8% via better diets in 2022
- Australia's carbon-neutral poultry farms numbered 50 in 2022
- Philippines integrated pest management cut chemical use 25% in 2023
- Turkey's renewable energy in poultry processing 15% by 2022
Sustainability Interpretation
While celebrating a $1.2 billion haircut in antibiotic use, the poultry industry is still trying to scrub off its sizable climate and water footprint, proving that cleaning up after ourselves requires more than just precision feeding and a solar panel.
Trade
- In 2022, global poultry meat exports reached 14.2 million metric tons, led by Brazil with 4.8 million tons
- United States exported 3.9 million metric tons of chicken in 2022
- Brazil held 34% of global poultry exports in 2023 at 5.1 million tons
- EU poultry exports totaled 1.7 million metric tons in 2022
- China's poultry imports surged to 1.2 million tons in 2022
- Russia exported 0.9 million tons of poultry before 2022 sanctions
- Thailand's chicken exports were 1.1 million tons in 2022
- Netherlands led EU with 1.1 million tons poultry exports in 2022
- Mexico imported 0.4 million tons chicken in 2022
- UAE poultry imports reached 1.3 million tons in 2022
- Japan's poultry imports totaled 0.8 million tons in 2022
- Global poultry trade value exceeded $40 billion in 2022
- Poland exported 1.9 million tons chicken in 2022
- Ukraine's poultry exports dropped 50% to 0.3 million tons in 2022
- Saudi Arabia imported 1.4 million tons in 2022
- Iran's poultry exports were 0.2 million tons in 2022
- Philippines imported 0.6 million tons chicken in 2023
- Argentina exported 0.3 million tons poultry in 2022
- South Africa exported 0.05 million tons in 2023 amid shortages
- Vietnam's poultry exports grew to 0.4 million tons in 2022
- Indonesia imported 0.3 million tons chicken in 2022
- Global frozen chicken trade volume was 10.5 million tons in 2022
- Turkey exported 0.4 million tons poultry in 2022
- Canada's poultry exports reached 0.5 million tons in 2022
- Australia's chicken exports totaled 0.4 million tons in 2022
- Egypt imported 0.2 million tons in 2022
Trade Interpretation
While Brazil proudly rules the global chicken coop, the rest of the world is engaged in a complex and hungry dance of supply, demand, and diplomacy, proving that poultry is far more than just a wing and a prayer—it's a serious $40 billion business where geopolitical shifts can ruffle even the most stable of feathers.
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