While it isn’t the world’s most widely consumed meat, beef reigns supreme in some parts of the world, including highly populated countries like India, despite beef being banned in the majority of India’s states. Although it’s not one of the globe’s top producers, Argentina consumes the most beef per capita worldwide, at just over 100 pounds per person. It’s no wonder that, according to Our World In Data, global consumption of all meats has been steadily increasing for decades. However, it turns out that the United States, China, and Brazil not only consume the majority of the world’s beef, but they are also the top producers of the meat as well, in that same order.
In the last decade, the United States has consistently supplied the most beef to the world, followed closely by Brazil. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. supplies 20% of the world’s beef. Brazil comes in at a close second by providing 19%, and China supplies slightly less, taking up 13%. In total, that comes out to over half of the world’s entire beef production. The USDA also notes that, on average, the total amount of beef produced globally has gone up 0.71% between the years of 2015 and 2024. This means that the average total over the same 10 years comes out to 58.21 million metric tons annually.
Beef is king in the United States
In 2024, the USDA notes that the United States was responsible for supplying 12.29 million metric tons of beef. This is up from the 10.8 million metric tons that it supplied globally in 2015. A metric ton is equivalent to 2,204 pounds, making the United States’ global supply weigh in at more than a staggering 27 billion pounds of beef. Surprisingly, beef was only ranked ninth on the list of top-produced commodities from the United States, with almonds taking first at a whopping 77% of global production in 2024, according to another report by the USDA.
The United States houses over 27 million beef cows, most of which are grain-fed, with Texas taking the lead as the state that produces the most cattle. Oklahoma trails behind the Lone Star State, with Missouri next in line. According to a 2024 survey conducted by the USDA, Texas is responsible for over 14% of beef cows, while Oklahoma is home to less than half of that at 5%. The Texas Longhorn may be an image of classic American ranch life, but most of the beef in the U.S. comes from the Black Angus breed of cattle.
Overall, the USDA reports that the number of cattle in the United States decreased by 2% from 2023 to 2024. In 2024, American consumers ate about 59 pounds of beef per person, a bit more than 2023’s average and slightly higher than the average of the past five years. In addition to supplying its own beef-hungry population, the United States exports beef to countries like South Korea, Japan, Mexico, and even China, as well as many other countries around the world.
Brazil’s extensive beef production comes at an environmental cost
Brazil, famous worldwide for its particularly mouthwatering type of steakhouse, produced 11.85 million metric tons of beef in 2024. Just a decade ago, the South American nation supplied only 9.4 million metric tons to the world. Despite the United States being the largest producer of beef globally, the country is Brazil’s second-largest purchaser of the commodity after China. Beef ranks sixth among Brazil’s top-produced commodities in 2024, far below orange juice, which accounts for 70% of global production (via UDSA).
Unfortunately, with the massive amount of beef production comes environmental impacts. Brazil is home to the Amazon, the largest tropical rainforest on the planet, which has been devastated by deforestation efforts, many of which are for the purpose of raising cattle. In fact, the government of Brazil even incentivized deforestation of the Amazon between the 1960s and 1980s, largely for cattle herds and the production of beef. While cattle production was always common in southern parts of the country, the rising demand for beef has driven cattle production into the Amazon.
Along with the production of soy, cattle ranching has had a devastating impact on the Amazon rainforest. Thankfully, the last two decades have seen some new policies put in place to help curb the severe deforestation caused by cattle farming. Part of the land is now prohibited from being razed for cattle pastures, and advancements in farming technology are now aiding in lessening the industry’s impact on the environment.
China’s beef production can’t keep up with the nation’s demand
While less than the U.S. and Brazil, China was responsible for supplying 7.79 metric tons of beef globally in 2024. Despite placing third in the world’s global production, beef doesn’t even rank among the top 10 produced commodities in China. Instead, pears and citrus fruits, such as grapefruit, tangerines, and mandarins, account for the top three food items supplied globally by the country in 2024 (via USDA).
Surprisingly, a large portion of China’s beef production comes from smaller farms, as opposed to giant factories. The National Library of Medicine states that over 90% of Chinese farms that supply cattle slaughter no more than nine cows annually. Despite that, these small farms collectively account for more than half of China’s beef supply, relying on a massive number of individuals rather than large factory slaughterhouses.
Over the years, the amount of beef consumed in China has risen, and the country isn’t able to produce enough to meet internal demands. It’s no wonder the nation eliminated its ban on importing beef from the U.S. in 2017. Because of this, China has quickly become one of the biggest beef importers in the world for the sake of its 1.4 billion citizens. As the quality of life continues to improve in China, Chinese people are consuming more beef overall. However, according to the USDA, China’s production of beef (and pork) is expected to decrease, despite the increasing demands for both meats.
