LUBBOCK, TX – Poultry is projected to overtake pork next year as the world’s most consumed meat, according to analysis credited to Todd Thurman, an international swine management consultant.
The shift reflects a long-running change in global diets. Per-person pork consumption is less than half a kilogram higher than it was 20 years ago, while poultry has continued to climb. Beef has stayed mostly steady, and sheep and lamb consumption has grown slightly from a smaller base.
Over the past 30 years, pork’s share of total per-person meat consumption has fallen from more than 42 percent to less than 38 percent. Poultry has risen from under 25 percent to over 37 percent.
The concern for pork producers is that nearly all global pork consumption growth from 2010 to 2025 came from population growth, not stronger per-person demand. That becomes a bigger issue as populations age or decline in major pork-consuming countries.
Future growth is also concentrated in Africa and parts of the Middle East, where pork represents a small share of meat consumption.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Pork producers face a longer-term demand challenge as poultry gains market share and population growth shifts away from traditional pork markets.