Ever wondered how many birds it takes to generate $169 billion in economic activity and feed a nation of chicken lovers? This is the powerhouse reality of the U.S. poultry industry, a sector of staggering scale that not only put a record 9.26 billion broilers on American tables in 2022 but also supported 1.47 million jobs and reshaped global food markets.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the United States produced a record 9.26 billion broilers weighing 46.43 billion pounds (ready-to-cook weight)
- Broiler production in the US reached 1.58 million metric tons in carcass weight equivalent during the first half of 2023
- Turkey production in 2022 totaled 5.17 billion pounds (ready-to-cook weight), up 1% from 2021
- The poultry industry contributed $65 billion to US GDP in 2022 through direct and indirect impacts
- Poultry and egg farming added $49.2 billion to US GDP in 2021, representing 0.22% of total GDP
- US broiler industry generated $58.4 billion in cash receipts for farmers in 2022
- The US poultry industry employed 1.47 million workers directly and indirectly in 2022
- Poultry processing plants employed 286,000 workers in 2022, with average wage of $45,000 annually
- Broiler production supported 583,800 jobs on farms and in processing in 2021
- Per capita consumption of broilers in US reached 97.2 pounds in 2022
- US chicken consumption totaled 29.5 billion pounds boneless in 2022
- Turkey consumption per capita was 14.8 pounds in 2022, down slightly from prior year
- US poultry exports volume hit 3.8 billion pounds in 2022, valued at $5.8 billion
- Top destination for US broiler exports was Mexico with 1.2 billion pounds in 2022
- US dark meat exports to Asia totaled 1.5 billion pounds carcass weight equivalent in 2022
The U.S. poultry industry set production records and grew economically in 2022.
Consumption Trends
- Per capita consumption of broilers in US reached 97.2 pounds in 2022
- US chicken consumption totaled 29.5 billion pounds boneless in 2022
- Turkey consumption per capita was 14.8 pounds in 2022, down slightly from prior year
- Total poultry meat disappearance reached 60.5 billion pounds in 2022
- Egg consumption per capita hit 286 eggs in 2022, highest on record
- 93% of US consumers ate chicken weekly in 2022 survey
- Boneless chicken breast accounted for 40% of total chicken consumption in 2022
- US household expenditure on poultry averaged $250 per year in 2022
- Organic poultry consumption grew 12% to 1.2 billion pounds in 2022
- 75% of eggs consumed were from cage-free or specialty by end 2022
- Poultry share of total meat consumption was 48.5% in 2022, surpassing beef
- Fast food chicken sales volume increased 5% to 12 billion pounds in 2022
- Per capita turkey consumption forecast at 14.6 pounds for 2023
- Plant-based poultry alternatives captured 2.5% market share in 2022
- US imported 1.1 billion pounds of poultry meat in 2022, mostly for further processing
- Frozen chicken storage demand consumed 2.5 billion pounds in 2022
- Ready-to-cook poultry sales up 8% to 35 billion pounds in retail 2022
- Antibiotic-free chicken share reached 25% of sales in 2022
- Turkey deli meat consumption was 2.1 pounds per capita in 2022
- Home consumption of poultry rose 10% during holidays 2022
- School lunch programs served 4.5 billion pounds poultry in 2022
- E-commerce poultry sales grew 30% to $5 billion in 2022
- Low-carb diets boosted chicken thigh consumption 15% in 2022
- Processed nuggets/tenders made up 22% of chicken consumption 2022
- Regional variation: South consumed 110 lbs chicken per capita vs 85 national avg 2022
Consumption Trends Interpretation
Americans are now a nation where nearly everyone eats chicken weekly, spending on poultry like it's going out of style, and collectively devouring enough of it to tilt the entire meat market in their favor, all while debating the ethics of their eggs and the antibiotics in their nuggets.
Economic Value
- The poultry industry contributed $65 billion to US GDP in 2022 through direct and indirect impacts
- Poultry and egg farming added $49.2 billion to US GDP in 2021, representing 0.22% of total GDP
- US broiler industry generated $58.4 billion in cash receipts for farmers in 2022
- The value of US poultry exports reached $5.8 billion in 2022, supporting economic growth
- Poultry processing sector valued at $70 billion annually, employing supply chain multipliers of 2.5
- US egg industry economic output totaled $13.4 billion in 2022, including induced effects
- Broiler production value added $35 billion to farm sector GDP in 2022
- Poultry sector farm cash receipts projected at $65.5 billion for 2023
- The multiplier effect of poultry industry spending generated $169 billion in total economic activity in 2021
- US turkey industry contributed $6.8 billion in producer revenues in 2022
- Poultry-related retail sales exceeded $100 billion in 2022, driving food sector economy
- Investment in poultry processing plants reached $2.5 billion in 2022 for expansions
- Poultry exports supported 137,000 US jobs with $5.5 billion labor income in 2021
- Total economic impact of US layer industry was $21.5 billion in 2022
- Poultry industry farm equity reached $120 billion in 2022
- Contract farming in poultry generated $40 billion in grower payments in 2022
- Poultry input costs rose 20% to $25 billion for feed alone in 2022
- US poultry processors' profits hit $8.5 billion pre-tax in 2022
- Egg product manufacturing valued at $4.2 billion wholesale in 2022
- Poultry farm debt outstanding was $15.4 billion in 2022
- Vertical integration in broilers saved $10 billion in costs annually per 2022 estimates
- Poultry R&D investment by industry totaled $750 million in 2022
- State-level economic impact in Georgia from poultry was $20 billion in 2022
- Arkansas poultry GDP contribution was $12.5 billion in 2022
Economic Value Interpretation
The poultry industry, a nearly $170 billion economic engine, proves that when we talk about putting all our eggs in one basket, it's not a risk but a remarkably robust business strategy built on everything from farm equity to vertical integration.
Employment Data
- The US poultry industry employed 1.47 million workers directly and indirectly in 2022
- Poultry processing plants employed 286,000 workers in 2022, with average wage of $45,000 annually
- Broiler production supported 583,800 jobs on farms and in processing in 2021
- US egg production employed 192,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2022
- Turkey industry jobs totaled 28,500 direct positions in 2022
- Poultry sector labor force grew by 4.2% from 2021 to 2022, reaching 1.5 million
- 65% of poultry processing workers were Hispanic in 2022, highlighting diversity
- Average hourly wage in poultry slaughtering/processing rose to $18.50 in 2022
- Poultry farming employed 84,000 workers directly in 2022, per USDA census
- Processing sector turnover rate averaged 60% in poultry plants in 2022
- US poultry industry supported 2.1 million jobs including supply chain in 2022
- 45,000 jobs added in poultry processing since 2020 recovery
- Women comprised 35% of poultry processing workforce in 2022
- Poultry hatchery employment stood at 12,500 in 2022
- Labor income from poultry totaled $72 billion across 1.47 million jobs in 2022
- Immigrant workers made up 50% of poultry plant labor in key states like GA, AR in 2022
- Poultry vet services employed 5,200 specialists in 2022
- Poultry processing wages totaled $13 billion payroll in 2022
- 75,000 seasonal workers hired in poultry harvest periods 2022
- Poultry vet employment grew 3% to 5,500 in 2022
- Transport and logistics for poultry employed 45,000 drivers in 2022
- Feed mill workers in poultry supply chain numbered 22,000 in 2022
- Poultry R&D staff totaled 4,200 scientists/engineers in 2022
- Safety training reached 90% of 286,000 processing workers in 2022
- Unionized poultry jobs were 5% of total workforce in 2022
- Remote monitoring tech reduced on-farm labor by 15% in 2022 pilots
- Poultry retail and foodservice jobs indirect: 800,000 in 2022
- Training programs graduated 25,000 new workers for poultry in 2022
Employment Data Interpretation
While America may debate whether the chicken or the egg came first, the poultry industry’s 1.5 million workers—from farms to labs to truck cabs—have settled the matter by creating both, along with $72 billion in labor income, a remarkably diverse workforce, and a 60% turnover rate that shows this isn't just a job, it's a tough, vital, and growing pillar of the national economy.
Production Statistics
- In 2022, the United States produced a record 9.26 billion broilers weighing 46.43 billion pounds (ready-to-cook weight)
- Broiler production in the US reached 1.58 million metric tons in carcass weight equivalent during the first half of 2023
- Turkey production in 2022 totaled 5.17 billion pounds (ready-to-cook weight), up 1% from 2021
- Egg production in the US hit 113.6 billion table eggs in 2022, an increase of 2.5% from the previous year
- The US broiler hatchery output was 1.21 billion chicks in Q4 2022, representing a 3% increase year-over-year
- In 2021, US duck production totaled 32.8 million ducks, primarily in California and New York
- Broiler slaughter under federal inspection reached 9.2 billion head in 2022, averaging 35.1 million per week
- US layer flock size averaged 352 million hens in 2022, producing 9.5 billion dozen eggs
- Turkey poults hatched in US incubators totaled 483 million in 2022, up 2% from 2021
- The average live weight of broilers at slaughter in 2022 was 6.13 pounds, contributing to higher yields
- US produced 46.1 billion pounds of ready-to-cook broilers in 2021
- Commercial egg layers in the US numbered 378 million in December 2022
- Broiler industry processed 40.5 billion pounds of RTC chicken in Q3 2022 alone
- US turkey production forecast for 2023 is 5.38 billion pounds RTC
- Hatchability rate for broiler eggs in US hatcheries averaged 84.2% in 2022
- US poultry meat production (broilers, turkeys, other) totaled 52.6 billion pounds in 2022
- Production of broilers in US Southeast region accounted for 65% of national total in 2022 at 30 billion pounds RTC
- Georgia led broiler production with 1.4 billion birds processed in 2022
- Arkansas broiler output was 1.3 billion head in 2022
- North Carolina produced 950 million broilers in 2022
- Alabama's poultry production reached 1.1 billion birds RTC equivalent in 2022
- Texas turkey production was 45 million birds in 2022
- Iowa layer operations produced 12 billion eggs in 2022
- California duck meat production totaled 18 million pounds in 2022
- Mississippi processed 820 million broilers in 2022
- Delaware's broiler slaughter hit 370 million head in 2022
Production Statistics Interpretation
The American poultry industry has achieved such staggering scale that it now operates as a parallel, feathered universe whose annual output of billions of birds and trillions of eggs suggests our national bird should be the chicken, not the eagle.
Trade and Exports
- US poultry exports volume hit 3.8 billion pounds in 2022, valued at $5.8 billion
- Top destination for US broiler exports was Mexico with 1.2 billion pounds in 2022
- US dark meat exports to Asia totaled 1.5 billion pounds carcass weight equivalent in 2022
- Poultry export value grew 15% to $6.2 billion in first half 2023
- Cuba imported 285 million pounds of US chicken legs in 2022 under special licenses
- US turkey exports reached 634 million pounds in 2022, primarily to Mexico
- Shell eggs exported from US totaled 128 million dozen in 2022
- US share of global poultry exports was 15.2% by volume in 2022
- Exports to Philippines surged 25% to 450 million pounds in 2022
- US poultry export price averaged $1.85 per pound in 2022
- Canada imported 850 million pounds of US poultry products in 2022
- Hatching egg exports from US reached 85 million dozen in 2022
- US-China poultry trade volume was 300 million pounds in 2022 despite tariffs
- Poultry exports supported farm prices, adding $0.25 per pound to broiler values in 2022
- Vietnam emerged as top-5 market with 350 million pounds imported from US in 2022
- US egg exports supported domestic prices, reducing waste by 5% in 2022
- Angola imported 120 million pounds US chicken in 2022
- EU banned some US poultry but imports grew via processed 50 million lbs 2022
- US breeder stock exports: 10 million birds to 60 countries in 2022
- Colombia took 200 million pounds US leg quarters in 2022
- Duty-free poultry trade under USMCA reached 2 billion pounds in 2022
- Russia sanctions shifted 300 million pounds US exports to new markets 2022
- UAE imports from US poultry hit 180 million pounds in 2022
- Frozen leg quarters export price fell to $1.20/lb avg in 2022
- US supplied 40% of Mexico's poultry imports totaling 3 billion pounds in 2022
Trade and Exports Interpretation
The U.S. poultry industry has expertly played the global field, turning every geopolitical twist, tariff, and foreign palate into a lucrative opportunity to prove that when it comes to chicken, the world clearly agrees it's better to wing it with America.
Sources & References
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