Meat of chickens led world output with 128.31 million tonnes in 2024, just ahead of pig meat, according to FAOSTAT.
Meat of chickens is the world's most produced meat, with 128.31 million tonnes in 2024. Meat of pig is second at 125.36 million tonnes and meat of cattle third at 69.75 million tonnes. The ranking uses FAOSTAT world production of FAO's single-animal meat items for 2024, in tonnes.
Chicken and pig meat are close: 128.31 against 125.36 million tonnes in 2024, a gap of 2.95 million tonnes. In 2023 the two were almost level (124.66 and 124.57 million tonnes). Cattle meat is a distant third, and everything below it is under 12 million tonnes. This list uses one dataset and one year: FAOSTAT's production figures for 2024, the latest year with complete world totals. Each entry is one FAO meat item for one kind of animal; FAO's group totals such as 'Meat, Poultry' are not mixed in.
Meat of chickens: 128.31 million tonnes worldwide in 2024, up 2.9% on 2023 (124.66 million tonnes). The United States was the largest producer with 20.18 million tonnes, 15.7% of the world total, followed by China (mainland) with 15.35 million tonnes.
Meat of pig with the bone: 125.36 million tonnes worldwide in 2024, up 0.6% on 2023 (124.57 million tonnes). China (mainland) was the largest producer with 57.06 million tonnes, 45.5% of the world total, followed by the United States with 12.61 million tonnes.
Meat of cattle with the bone: 69.75 million tonnes worldwide in 2024, up 3.3% on 2023 (67.55 million tonnes). The United States was the largest producer with 12.29 million tonnes, 17.6% of the world total, followed by Brazil with 10.24 million tonnes.
Meat of sheep: 11.54 million tonnes worldwide in 2024, down 0.6% on 2023 (11.61 million tonnes). China (mainland) was the largest producer with 2.64 million tonnes (an FAO estimate), 22.9% of the world total, followed by India with 1.29 million tonnes.
Meat of goat: 7.74 million tonnes worldwide in 2024, up 1.1% on 2023 (7.65 million tonnes). China (mainland) was the largest producer with 2.54 million tonnes (an FAO estimate), 32.8% of the world total, followed by India with 1.72 million tonnes.
Meat of ducks: 7.33 million tonnes worldwide in 2024, up 4.1% on 2023 (7.04 million tonnes). China (mainland) was the largest producer with 5.96 million tonnes (an FAO estimate), 81.3% of the world total, followed by France with 0.19 million tonnes.
Meat of buffalo: 7.30 million tonnes worldwide in 2024, up 2.6% on 2023 (7.11 million tonnes). India was the largest producer with 4.57 million tonnes (a figure FAO took from an external organization), 62.5% of the world total, followed by Pakistan with 1.27 million tonnes.
Meat of geese: 5.41 million tonnes worldwide in 2024, up 3.1% on 2023 (5.24 million tonnes). China (mainland) was the largest producer with 5.29 million tonnes (an FAO estimate), 97.8% of the world total, followed by Taiwan (China) with 0.01 million tonnes.
Meat of turkeys: 5.08 million tonnes worldwide in 2024, down 2.9% on 2023 (5.23 million tonnes). The United States was the largest producer with 2.32 million tonnes, 45.5% of the world total, followed by Germany with 0.40 million tonnes.
Meat of rabbits and hares: 0.85 million tonnes worldwide in 2024, down 2.2% on 2023 (0.87 million tonnes). China (mainland) was the largest producer with 0.45 million tonnes (an FAO estimate), 52.5% of the world total, followed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea with 0.16 million tonnes.
| # | Name | Top producer (2024) | Top producer's share (our calc.) | Change vs 2023 (our calc.) | FAO flag on world figure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meat of chickens | United States (20.18 Mt) | 15.7% | +2.9% | A (official figure) |
| 2 | Meat of pig with the bone | China (mainland) (57.06 Mt) | 45.5% | +0.6% | A (official figure) |
| 3 | Meat of cattle with the bone | United States (12.29 Mt) | 17.6% | +3.3% | A (official figure) |
| 4 | Meat of sheep | China (mainland) (2.64 Mt) | 22.9% | -0.6% | E (estimated value) |
| 5 | Meat of goat | China (mainland) (2.54 Mt) | 32.8% | +1.1% | E (estimated value) |
| 6 | Meat of ducks | China (mainland) (5.96 Mt) | 81.3% | +4.1% | E (estimated value) |
| 7 | Meat of buffalo | India (4.57 Mt) | 62.5% | +2.6% | E (estimated value) |
| 8 | Meat of geese | China (mainland) (5.29 Mt) | 97.8% | +3.1% | E (estimated value) |
| 9 | Meat of turkeys | United States (2.32 Mt) | 45.5% | -2.9% | A (official figure) |
| 10 | Meat of rabbits and hares | China (mainland) (0.45 Mt) | 52.5% | -2.2% | E (estimated value) |
Meats are ranked by world production in 2024 (FAOSTAT domain QCL, element Production, unit tonnes, area 'World'), from FAO's bulk download file released in December 2025; 2024 is the latest year with complete world figures. Each entry is one FAO meat item for one kind of animal (CPC 2111 mammal meat and 2112 poultry meat, e.g. 'Meat of chickens, fresh or chilled', 'Meat of pig with the bone, fresh or chilled'). Excluded: FAO aggregates such as 'Meat, Total' and 'Meat, Poultry'; edible offal and fats, which FAO reports as separate items; and mixed items that are not one animal - 'Game meat' (2.05 million tonnes) and 'Other meat of mammals, n.e.c.' (1.57 million tonnes), either of which would otherwise rank between turkeys and rabbits. 'Meat of rabbits and hares' is a single FAO item. Item names are FAO's with ', fresh or chilled' dropped. Values are million tonnes rounded to two decimals; ranks use unrounded tonnes and no two items tie (ducks and buffalo differ by about 36 thousand tonnes). FAO flags the world figures for Meat of sheep, Meat of goat, Meat of ducks, Meat of buffalo, Meat of geese and Meat of rabbits and hares as estimated (flag E); chickens, pig, cattle and turkeys carry flag A. 'Top producer' uses country rows (FAOSTAT's combined 'China' row is skipped in favour of 'China, mainland' and 'China, Taiwan Province of'); shares and changes against 2023 are our calculations from the same file.
Chicken meat, with 128.31 million tonnes in 2024 according to FAOSTAT, narrowly ahead of pig meat at 125.36 million tonnes.
FAO's 'Meat, Poultry' aggregate (146.15 million tonnes in 2024) adds chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and other birds together. This list compares single animals, so it uses chicken meat alone.
FAOSTAT's 'Meat, Total' aggregate for 2024 is 373.87 million tonnes, up from 366.74 million tonnes in 2023.
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