In 2022 and 2023, nearly 10 billion land animals were slaughtered for human food consumption.[1-4]
Poultry: USDA NASS (2024) Poultry Slaughter 2023 Summary, ISSN: 2159-7480, p. 5 [Poultry totals include only slaughter under federal inspection which, according to the USDA, accounts for over 99% of total poultry slaughter (p. 35). We’re not aware of figures for the numbers slaughtered in state inspected plants.]
Other poultry types: The USDA calculates an additional total slaughter weight for “geese, guineas, ostriches, emus, rheas, and squab” at a little over 3 million pounds (p. 5). Since the weight of these birds varies so widely it’s difficult to estimate the numbers slaughtered. It’s probably in the range of 100,000-500,000 birds. In addition, the 2022 Census of Agriculture provides a list of other poultry types with significant inventory, including pheasant and quail [USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture (2024), AC-22-A-51, Table 30]. Many of these poultry are raised for game hunting while others are slaughtered for food. We don’t include them since there’s insufficient data.
Livestock: USDA NASS (2024) Livestock Slaughter 2023 Summary, ISSN: 0499-0544 p. 8, 15 [Livestock totals include commercial slaughter plants and on-farm slaughter, except goats and bison which include commercial slaughter only. The commercial slaughter of cattle includes dairy cows, p. 6]
This does not purport to be a complete listing of all animals slaughtered for food. Along with the additional poultry types, there are rabbits, deer and elk in captivity, and other livestock, though without sufficient data on slaughter figures. [see, USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture, Table 32]
Poultry make up more than 98% of the land animals slaughtered for human food consumption.
* In 2023, the ratio of poultry slaughtered (birds) to livestock slaughtered (mammals) was ~60 to 1.
* The ratio of broiler chickens slaughtered to pigs slaughtered was ~74 to 1.
* The ratio of broiler chickens slaughtered to cattle and calves slaughtered was ~280 to 1.