The 12 World’s Most Consumed of Animal Meat
The 12 World’s Most Consumed of Animal Meat
The 12 World’s Most Consumed
of Animal Meat– There are 12 World’s Most Consumed of Animal
Meat by Humans in 2023 and 2024 based on data released by the FAO
Statistical Database (FAOSTAT), United Nations (UN) released in 2026. However,
as humans need a large amount of nutrition,
animal meat can provide the nutrition of the human body so
that they support daily activities and can do something eagerly. In general,
meat is something that comes from animals including spleen, kidney, brain, and
other tissues that can be eaten by humans and contain many important nutrients
for the human body.
Here are the rank and description of 12 world's
most consumed animal meat by humans based on data from the FAO Statistical
database (FAOSTAT) in 2023 and 2024. This data shows the amount of meat that is
produced the most in the world which is certainly in line with the
demand for meat consumption. The higher the production of meat produced, of
course, the higher the demand of meat for human consumption.
Table Rank 12 World’s Most Consumed Animal Meat by Humans in 2023 and 2024
|
Rank |
Production of Meat from Animal |
Total Meat Production (Tons) |
Total Meat Production (Tons) |
|
in 2023 |
in 2024 |
||
|
1 |
Chicken |
126.5 million tons |
128.3 million tons |
|
2 |
Pig |
124.6 million tons |
125.3 million tons |
|
3 |
Cattle |
69.4 million tons |
69.7 million tons |
|
4 |
Sheep
(lamb) |
11.5 million tons |
11.5 million tons |
|
5 |
Goat |
7.4 million tons |
7.7 million tons |
|
6 |
Buffalo |
7.09 million tons |
7.29 million tons |
|
7 |
Duck |
7.05 million tons |
7.33 million tons |
|
8 |
Goose |
5.21 million tons |
5.4 million tons |
|
9 |
Turkey |
5.20 million tons |
5.08 million tons |
|
10 |
Rabbit |
681 thousand tons |
847 thousand tons |
|
11 |
Horse |
810 thousand tons |
747 thousand tons |
|
12 |
Camel |
612 thousand tons |
661 thousand tons |
|
Source:
FAOSTAT, 2026 |
|||
The Histogram Rank of 12 World’s Most Consumed Animal Meat in 2024
The Table Rank of 12 World’s Most Consumed Animal Meat in 2023 and 2024
Brief Description World’s Most Consumed of Animal Meat
1.Chicken Meat
As one of the most slaughtered animals by humans
in the world, chicken still becomes the most popular poultry animal among the people of the world. Nutritionally, chicken meat
is a highly nutritious food ingredient that is easy to obtain / economically
affordable, tastes good, and has a soft texture, so it is widely loved by the
world and is commonly used to meet the need for protein.
Historically, the chicken for meat and eggs came
from the species of Gallus gallus domesticus. Historically, the chicken (Gallus
gallus domesticus) is a domesticated animal of the red junglefowl (Gallus
gallus) in the last 8,000 years ago and it is originally native to Southeast
Asia. To date, the population of Chicken has spread across nations and still
become one of the most common and widespread domesticated animals in the world.
Commonly, there are some popular breeds of chicken
for meat production. Some of the chicken breeds are Cornish Cross, Bresse,
Buckeye, Chantecler, Croad Langshan, Delaware, Dorking, Egyptian Fayoumi,
Freedom Ranger, Ginger Broiler, Jersey Giant, Kosher King, New Hampshire Red,
Orpington, Turken.
Statistically, chicken meat still becomes the
world’s most consumed meat by humans in 2023 and 2024. In 2024, the world’s
production of chicken meat reached 128 million tons. Furthermore, based on the
country's producers, the United States of America (USA), China, Brazil, Russia,
India, and Indonesia still become the biggest country producers of chicken meat
in 2024. Most of their production is to fulfill domestic consumption.
2. Pig Meat / Pork
Historically, pigs were domesticated in
Mesopotamia around 13,000 BC and still became one of the most raised animals in
the world. Commonly, there are some popular breeds of pig for meat production.
Some of them are Berkshire, Chester White, Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, Poland
China, Spotted, and Yorkshire. Nutritionally, pork contains nutrients such as
carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals, and a lot of thiamin (vitamin
B1). These substances help the digest organ to process carbohydrates and support
the work of the nervous system.
Commonly, pork is one of the most popular meats in
some countries especially China, the people of the Americas, Europe, and
several Asian countries. In 2024, the production of pig meat all over the
world reached 125 million tons and still becomes one of the most
widely consumed meats. According to the FAO Statistical Corporate
Database (FAOSTAT) in 2026, some countries which have the highest
production of Pig meat are China, United States of America, Germany, Russia,
and Brazil.
3.Cattle Meat / Beef
Beef is the meat obtained from cattle (Bos taurus)
that contains nutrients in the form of water, protein, fat, minerals, and a
small number of carbohydrates. Basically, beef/cattle meat still becomes one of
the most favored meats in the world and many people know with any kind of beef
steak that most people in the world know how delicious steak is made
from beef. Besides pork and chicken meat, beef also becomes one of the most
popular types of meat for livestock and it is classified as "red
meat" because it contains excessive amounts of myoglobin (an
oxygen-carrying protein). Commonly, there are some popular cattle
species raised for beef production. Specifically, some of the cattle species
are Angus, Belted Galloway, Brahman, Charolais, Dexter, Gelbvieh, Hereford,
Holstein, Limousin, Piedmontese, Red Angus, Scottish Highland, Shorthorn,
Simmental, Texas Longhorn, Watusi.
Statistically, in 2024, the beef production was around 69.7 million tons according to FAO Statistical Corporate Database (FAOSTAT). In addition, some of the countries that have huge production of cattle's meat are the United States of America, Brazil, China, Argentina, and Australia.
4.Sheep Meat
Culturally, the meat of sheep can be divided into
3 types, namely Lamb, Hogget, and Mutton. Lamb refers to meat
from young sheep which are less than 12 months old, and
lamb usually has a tender and mild flavor. Hogget is the meat from a sheep which is
between 1 and 2 years old (often with 1-2 permanent teeth). Mutton is meat from an adult sheep which is generally over 2
years old. In this world, some of the popular sheep species, which is raised
for meat, namely Suffolk, Cheviot, Charollais, Katahdin, Icelandic Sheep, Tunis
Barbari, Blackbelly, Welsh Mountain Sheep, Shropshire, Texel, Dorset Horn,
Hampshire Down, Rambouillet, Dorper, and Romney. Chemically, sheep meat has a
complex chemical structure and consists of 73% of water, and protein (21%)
fractions, with lipid (5%), carbohydrate, and many vitamins and minerals also
present but in smaller amounts. Nutritionally, sheep contain a highly
nutritious source of many vitamins, minerals, protein, and ‘healthy’ fats such
as omega-3s (Holman et al., 2022).
In 2024, the world’s sheep meat production is around 11.5 million tons. Based on country producers, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, Algeria, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom still become the countries which has bigger quantity of sheep meat in 2024 than others.
5. Goat Meat
Goats are widely spread across the world, and
their meat has become the source of human nutrition since the
early times of human civilization. The international markets generally classify
goat meat into two types, the capretto/cabrito and chevon and it
is mainly differentiated by age and carcass weight. Cabrito or capretto
is meat from suckling kids and it is popular in various European regions.
Principally, the cabrito meat term is used in Portugal and Spain, Meanwhile the
capretto is the term used in Italy, France, many parts of Latin America, and
the Caribbean. Furthermore, Chevon is the popular term for goat meat
around the world, and it is the general term used to describe goat meat from
adult or mature goats (Gawat et al., 2023). Commonly, to date, there are
some popular
goat breeds for meat production including Boer goat,
Spanish goat, Savanna goat, Myotonic goat, Kiko Goat, Texmaster goat, Tennessee
goat, Kalahari Red, and Pygmy goats.
In addition, in the year 2024, the world’s goat meat production is still 7.7 million tons. According to FAO Statistical Corporate Database (FAOSTAT), there are some countries with huge production of goat meat and becoming the biggest producers in the world. These countries include China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Bangladesh.
6. Buffalo Meat
Buffalo also has become one of the most
favorable meats and buffalo meat is a meat obtained from water buffaloes.
Specifically, Water buffaloes are types of animals belonging to the family
Bovidae, which are an important livestock species in southern Asia, as well as
in South America, southern Europe, and northern Africa. It is estimated that
there are approximately 158 million water buffalo in the world and 97% of which
lives in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia (Hoffman and Cawthorn, 2013).
In terms of buffalo meat production, there are some popular
buffalo breeds, namely Murrah, Surti, Nili Ravi, Kundhi, Mehsana,
Bhadawari, Carabao, Jafarabadi, Azi-kheli. In some areas in Indonesia, such as
in Toraja, South Sulawesi, buffalo became super expensive animals
with high aesthetic value.
Statistically in 2024, the world’s buffalo meat
production reached 7.29 million tons. Based on the
country’s regional production in 2024, India, Pakistan, China, Egypt,
and Nepal have huge production of buffalo meat and still become
the biggest country producers of all nations in the world.
7.Duck Meat
Duck is a type of meat that some people like due
to its distinctive flavor and rich nutrients. Nutritionally, in every 100-gram
duck meat and skin have a few mineral nutrients such as Copper, Iron,
Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, and Zinc. In addition to mineral content, duck
meat also contains vitamins such as Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin
B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K.
Based on meat production, there are some popular duck breeds for meat production. These species include Pekin duck, Rouen duck, Muscovy duck, Jumbo Pekin duck, Swedish, Khaki Campbell, Magpie, moulard, and Aylesbury duck. In Chinese Cuisine, Duck meat was immensely popular in several dishes, namely Peking duck, Braised duck, Salted duck, Tea-smoked duck, Duck blood, and vermicelli soup.
Furthermore, the world’s production of Duck meat
in 2024 achieved 7.33 million tons. Furthermore, according to the
FAO Statistical Corporate Database (FAOSTAT), there are some
countries with huge productions of duck meat, namely China, France,
Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Republic of Korea. Of all nations in the world, China has significantly contributed to
global duck production, with mainland China accounting for approximately 69 %
of the world's total duck meat output (Hou & Liu, 2024).
8. Goose Meat
One of the other popular meats is goose meat.
Goose meat is also in great demand by the world as a source of nutrition.
Specifically, Goose meat has high nutritional value, is a particularly reliable
source of amino acids and has specific aroma and flavor traits (Okruszek et
al., 2013). Commonly, there are some popular breeds of goose for
meat production. Some of these geese are Embden goose, Pilgrim, Toulouse
goose, African goose, and Chinese goose. Relating to the culinary, there are
some popular cuisines made from goose meat. These dishes are Gänsebraten,
Martinigans, Stegt gås.
Statistically, according to FAO Statistical
Corporate Database (FAOSTAT), the world’s production of Goose meat reached 5.4
million tons in 2024. In addition, there are some countries with the biggest
production of goose meat. Those countries are China, Egypt, Myanmar,
Madagascar, and Taiwan.
9. Turkey Meat
In Taxonomically science, Turkeys are large birds
including to the order Galliformes of the Phasianidae family and Meleagridinae
subfamily and there are two species of turkey, Meleagris gallopavo and
Meleagris ocellata, both being domesticated many years ago for meat production
(Tserveni-Goussi, & Fortomaris, 2011). To date, turkey's meat also becomes
one of the most favorable meats and the biggest consumer of this meat comes
from Europe and the United States of America. Basically, meat from this species is served
at Thanksgiving (The United States and Canada) and Christmas. Based on its
species, there are some popular breeds of turkey for meat production.
These are Beltsville Small White Turkey, Black Spanish Turkey, Bourbon Red
Turkey, Broad-Breasted White Turkey, Bronze Turkey, Midget White Turkey, Royal
Palm Turkey, Slate Turkey, and White Holland Turkey.
Statistically, the world’s production of turkey’s meat in 2024 reached 5.08 million tons according to FAO Statistical Corporate Database. Statistically, based on countries' regions, the United States of America, Brazil, Germany, Poland, Italy, and France still become the biggest country producers of turkey meat in 2024.
10. Rabbit Meat
Rabbits (Lepus nigricollis) are a group of
animals that are extremely popular because of their cuteness. In addition to
the aesthetic benefits, rabbit meat is delicious, and some people like it
with rabbit meat. Nutritionally, Rabbit meat has specific nutrients such as high contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids,
proteins, and essential amino acids (Li et al., 2018). Based on its species,
there are some popular rabbit breeds for meat production. Some of them are New
Zealand, California, Flemish giant, American Chinchilla rabbit, Argente, Creme
D’Argent, Florida White, Harlequin, Palomino, Satin, and Silver Fox rabbits. In
some countries, there are some cuisines made from rabbit meat, namely Lapin à
la moutarde, Coniglio all’ischitana, Fenkata, Conejo al ajillo.
Statistically, this meat is generally consumed in Europe, the Americas, and parts of the Middle East. Morphologically, rabbit meat has fine fibers and slightly pale color, so rabbit meat can be grouped into white meat groups like chicken meat. The high content of protein and unsaturated fatty acids make rabbit meat excellent for maintaining healthy body tissues. Statistically, in 2024, the world's production of rabbit meat reached 847 thousand tons and some of the countries with huge productions rabbit’s meat production include China, North Korea, Egypt, Russia, and Ukraine.
11. Horse Meat
Horse meat is still one of the world's most favorable meats despite a ban on horse meat consumption by Pope Gregory III in 732. Based on various cuisines, there are some popular dishes made from horse meat. These dishes are Qarta, Zhaya, Zhal, Laħam taż-żiemel, Pastissada de caval, Pezzetti di cavallo, Polpette di cavallo, and Basashi. In 2024, the world’s production of horse meat reached 747 thousand tons. Based on the country's bases, there are some countries which have become the country's biggest producers including Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Mexico, and Russia.
12. Camel Meat
Camels are good potential meat producers
predominantly in arid regions. As result of these conditions, Camel meat has
huge production in the Middle East and Africa regions which the
landscape in Africa and the Middle East is indeed dominated by drylands and
deserts (Kadim et al., 2008).
In terms of the dishes, there are some popular dishes from camel meat. These are Camel Meat Kabsa, Camel Burger, Camel Marinade, Camel Meat Karahi, Saba Butt, Machboos, majboos, mishkak, muthal, and reshmi kebab. In 2024, statistically, the world’s production of camel meat reached 661 thousand tons. Based on the country's bases, there are some countries with huge production including Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
Source Article 12 World’s Most Consumed of Animal Meat
FAO Statistical Database. Livestock Primary (Meat
Total List). Accessed via http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QL on
January 20th, 2026.
Hoffman, L. C., & Cawthorn, D. (2013). Exotic
protein sources to meet all needs. Meat science, 95(4), 764-771.
Holman, B. W. B., Ponnampalam, E. N., Kilgannon,
A. K., & Hopkins, D. L. (2022). The relationship between major fatty acid
groups and consumer liking of beef flavour. In the Australian Association of Animal Sciences 34th Biennial Conference
2022.
Li, S., Zeng, W., Li, R.,
Hoffman, L. C., He, Z., Sun, Q., & Li, H. (2018). Rabbit meat
production and processing in China. Meat science, 145, 320-328.
Gawat, M., Boland, M., Singh, J., & Kaur, L.
(2023). Goat Meat: Production and quality attributes. Foods, 12(16), 3130.
Hou, S., & Liu, L. (2021). Current status,
future development trend, and suggestions of the waterfowl industry in 2020. China Journal of Animal Science, 57,
235-239.
Tserveni-Goussi, A., & Fortomaris, P. (2011).
Production and quality of quail, pheasant, goose, and turkey eggs for uses
other than human consumption. In Improving the safety and quality of eggs and
egg products (pp. 509-537). Woodhead Publishing.
Kadim, I.
T., Mahgoub, O., & Purchas, R. W. (2008). A review of the growth, and of
the carcass and meat quality characteristics of the one-humped camel (Camelus
dromedaries). Meat Science, 80(3), 555-569.