The 40 Countries That Produce the Most Beef

Beef is delicious in every form, from hamburgers to steak to meatloaf, and is a beloved protein around the world. But how much beef is consumed worldwide each year? It’s estimated that around 130 billion pounds of beef were consumed in 2020! What country eats the most beef? The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development reports that the biggest beef-eating country is the United States, which consumed around 12.9 thousand metric tons in 2021. That equates to around 57 pounds of beef per capita! However, Argentina has America beat as the country that eats the most beef per capita — Argentines devour around 79 pounds of beef per person! So where is all that beef coming from? Here’s a look at some global beef production statistics from Matt Morgan’s Meatloaf Recipes that shows the biggest beef-producing countries worldwide:

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What Country Produces the Most Beef in the World?

The largest producer of beef in the world is the United States, which produces 12,379,000 metric tons of beef each year, accounting for 20.44% of world beef production. Despite the colossal output of United States beef production, it is still one of the biggest importers of beef, second only to China. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. imports of beef have represented around 11 percent of U.S. beef production, and exports of beef are around 9 percent of production. So how do other countries stack up against annual beef production in America? Here are the top 25 countries that produce the most beef, measured in metric tons:

United States: 12,379,000
Brazil: 10,100,000
European Union: 7,810,000
China: 6,720,000
India: 3,760,000
Argentina: 3,230,000
Australia: 2,123,000
Mexico: 2,079,000
Pakistan: 1,820,000
Russia: 1,378,000
Canada: 1,310,000
South Africa: 950,000
Colombia: 744,000
New Zealand: 727,000
Paraguay: 550,000
Kazakhstan: 521,000
Uruguay: 520,000
Japan: 479,000
Egypt: 367,000
Iran: 350,000
Ukraine: 350,000
South Korea: 287,000
Belarus: 280,000
Vietnam: 234,000
Chile: 223,000
Nicaragua: 185,000

What Is the Most Consumed Meat in the World?

While beef is the favorite here at Meatloaf.pro, you may be wondering what meat is eaten the most globally. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, pork is the most consumed meat in the world (36%), followed by poultry (33%), beef (24)%, and goats and sheep (5%). So to meet this demand, what country produces the most meat overall? The biggest meat producer in the world is China, which produces nearly 90 million tons of meat per year. The United States ranks second in meat production by country at around 47 million tons.