Americans eat more chicken than beef. In 2020 Americans ate 96.4 pounds of broiler chickens per capita. According to data by the USDA and Economic Research Service. This is significantly more than the amount of beef consumed, which was about 57 pounds per person. This trend has been consistent since 2009, when Americans ate 84.9 pounds of chicken and 57.6 pounds of beef per person on average.
Chicken is a popular choice due to its versatility; it can be cooked in a variety of ways and used in many dishes from salads to sandwiches to stir-fries. It’s also relatively inexpensive compared to other proteins like beef or pork, making it an attractive option for many families on a budget. Additionally, the poultry industry is well-developed in the US with large-scale production facilities providing a steady supply of high-quality chicken at competitive prices.
Overall, Americans tend to prefer chicken over beef for its affordability and convenience as well as its adaptability for different recipes and cooking styles. But Americans still love their beef. The United States was the largest consumer of beef in the world in 2020 followed by China, the EU, Brazil and India. Americans consumed roughly 21% of the beef consumed in the world in 2020 but that’s not enough to overtake chicken. In fact, U.S. chicken consumption by is expected to exceed 101 pounds of broiler chickens per capita by 2030.
As an aside, the number of Americans identifying as vegetarians has remained roughly the same at 6 percent since 1999, according to Gallup surveys. The number of self-identifying vegans has held fairly steady at around 2 to 3 percent.