Yes. Since 2022, the rate of death has steadily risen.[1,2] It represents millions of animals each year that are not included in the often-quoted “numbers of animals slaughtered for food.” The increasing rate is directly connected to the intensification of industrial animal farming. Larger herd/flock sizes mean more animals die as illness spreads, in mass culls, or barn fires. Animals are being bred to grow too quickly or to bear larger litters. They are being fed high protein feeds to add unnatural weight which can cause heart failure, skeletal problems, and disease.[3]
The animals die of disease, starvation, thirst, wounds, exhaustion, lameness, cannibalism, heat, and freezing cold. They die in floods and fires and in massive “culls.” They died on manure-filled floors, in transport trucks, in macerators, and in piles of dying animals. Some make the exhausting trip to the slaughterhouse, but their tumors are too big, or their legs too weak to even make it onto the slaughter line. Many die slowly and suffer intensely.
For analyses and references for Death Before Slaughter, see pages for Poultry Death Before Slaughter and Livestock Death Before Slaughter
Deaths for any reason (other than slaughter) divided by estimates of total animals born equals the total death rate. Total figures are often rounded. These are all estimates based on available information. In many cases these are undercounts due to incomplete data on listed species or lack of data on unlisted species.
In 2025, there were approximately 11.4 billion farmed animals in the U.S. that were slaughtered for human food consumption or were killed or died before slaughter.[1-3]
See, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HijCh7-2iVYns_p1W2gZR2zfX1gOU4sAGaMYqF4BuWs/edit?gid=0#gid=0 [Total figures are often rounded and are all estimates based on available information. In many cases they are undercounts due to incomplete data on listed species or lack of data on unlisted species.]
For analyses and references for Death Before Slaughter, see pages for Poultry Death Before Slaughter and Livestock Death Before Slaughter. For totals of animals slaughtered, see page Animals Slaughtered for Food.
This does not purport to be a complete listing of all animals slaughtered for food. For additional info on unlisted species and reasons for expected undercounts see footnotes at Animals Slaughtered for Food
In 2024, there were approximately 11.3 billion farmed animals in the U.S. that were slaughtered for human food consumption or were killed or died before slaughter.[1-3]
See, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/123-rfRGIFXzZHVJfiftxPTH9ankR4EikOpoU-e8P3gc/edit?gid=0#gid=0 [Total figures are often rounded and are all estimates based on available information. In many cases they are undercounts due to incomplete data on listed species or lack of data on unlisted species.]