M. Shahbandeh
Research expert covering agriculture & FMCG
U.S. beef market - statistics & facts
The United States tops the list of the globally leading beef and veal producing countries: the country produced over 12.5 million tons of beef and veal (net carcass weight) as of 2024, followed by Brazil and China, respectively. That year, total production of beef and veal amounted to just above 60 million metric tons worldwide. The global cattle population has increased by 100 million in the past decade, and amounted to over 1.5 billion heads in 2023.
Cattle farming in the U.S.
The United States is home to approximately 87 million cattle and calves as of 2024, a decrease from 92 million cattle and calves in 2022. There are over three times more beef cows than milk cows living in the United States. Over 26 billion pounds of beef were produced in the United States every year, from which only over three billion pounds are expreted globally. Unsurprisingly, U.S. is the biggest beef and veal consumer worldwide, with over 12 million consumption annually.U.S. beef retail market
Beef is still the cash cow of the fresh meat retail department, with the highest retail sales within the category. In 2024, the average value of retail beef was over 820 U.S. cents per pound of retail equivalent. Sirloin steak is one of the most expensive cuts, retailing at over ten U.S. dollars per pound in 2024, almost twice as expensive as ground beef. As recent survey depicted that supermarkets were still the most popular sales channel for consumers to buy meat in the United States by far. Over half of consumer reported purchasing their meat in traditional supermarkets. The share of meat sales that happened over online channels is still relatively low compared to meat purchases in other channels, showing an opprtunity for e-commerce channel to grow in the fresh meat market in the U.S.
