The world’s largest chicken producers in 2023 are the United States, Brazil, and China, according to projections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The United States is the world’s largest chicken producer and is projected to produce approximately 46.7 billion pounds of ready-to-cook chicken meat in calendar year 2023, representing 20.6% of total world production.

Broilers are tender, young chickens suitable for broiling or roasting.

Brazil and China rank second and third in broiler meat production, with 14.2% and 14.0% of the world market, respectively.

According to the USDA, U.S. chicken production increased from 2010 to 2022 at a compound annual growth rate of 1.9 percent.

Chicken producers

Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation believes the growth in demand for chicken is attributable to its relative affordability compared to other proteins such as beef and pork, the increasingly health-conscious nature of U.S. consumers, the consistent quality and versatility of chicken, and its introduction on many foodservice menus.

In addition, demand for protein remains strong. USDA estimates for the 2021-2032 period show a projected increase in U.S. chicken production at a compound annual growth rate of 1.4 percent.

The United States consumes more chicken than any other protein (approximately 39 billion pounds estimated in calendar year 2022 according to USDA, and chicken is the second most consumed protein globally after pork.

According to the USDA, U.S. chicken product exports increased at an average annual growth rate of 0.6% from 2010 through 2022.

Behind Brazil, the United States is the second largest exporter of broiler meat.

The United States exported 7.3 billion pounds in calendar year 2022, accounting for 24.5% of total world exports and 15.3% of total U.S. production.

The top five exporters (including the European Union) controlled nearly 82-0% of the market in 2022.