Animals slaughtered for meat in China
China: Animals slaughtered for meat was 45.89 million in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
45.89 million
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
1st
of 198 countries
All-time high
45.89 million
in 2024
All-time low
506,000
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Animals slaughtered for meat in China, 1961–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, animals slaughtered for meat in China stood at 45.89 million. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 21.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, animals slaughtered for meat in China peaked at 45.89 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 506,000, in 1961.
That places China 1st out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Animals slaughtered for meat in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 506,000 | — |
| 1962 | 690,000 | +36.4% |
| 1963 | 925,000 | +34.1% |
| 1964 | 1.03 million | +11.9% |
| 1965 | 1.16 million | +12.1% |
| 1966 | 1.26 million | +8.6% |
| 1967 | 1.31 million | +4.0% |
| 1968 | 1.31 million | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 1.33 million | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 1.33 million | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 1.50 million | +12.8% |
| 1972 | 1.61 million | +7.3% |
| 1973 | 1.77 million | +9.9% |
| 1974 | 1.88 million | +5.9% |
| 1975 | 1.95 million | +4.0% |
| 1976 | 1.84 million | -5.4% |
| 1977 | 1.95 million | +5.7% |
| 1978 | 1.95 million | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 2.23 million | +14.1% |
| 1980 | 2.49 million | +11.9% |
| 1981 | 2.46 million | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 2.50 million | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 2.66 million | +6.4% |
| 1984 | 3.06 million | +15.0% |
| 1985 | 3.45 million | +12.7% |
| 1986 | 4.40 million | +27.5% |
| 1987 | 5.20 million | +18.2% |
| 1988 | 5.74 million | +10.4% |
| 1989 | 6.53 million | +13.8% |
| 1990 | 7.55 million | +15.5% |
| 1991 | 8.73 million | +15.7% |
| 1992 | 9.98 million | +14.4% |
| 1993 | 12.28 million | +23.0% |
| 1994 | 15.86 million | +29.2% |
| 1995 | 18.34 million | +15.6% |
| 1996 | 20.52 million | +11.9% |
| 1997 | 26.30 million | +28.2% |
| 1998 | 29.23 million | +11.1% |
| 1999 | 30.60 million | +4.7% |
| 2000 | 32.45 million | +6.0% |
| 2001 | 33.17 million | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 34.09 million | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 36.47 million | +7.0% |
| 2004 | 37.96 million | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 38.55 million | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 39.42 million | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 40.52 million | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 41.40 million | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 38.63 million | -6.7% |
| 2010 | 38.86 million | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 37.81 million | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 37.97 million | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 37.71 million | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 37.80 million | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 37.90 million | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 38.38 million | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 39.06 million | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 39.58 million | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 40.80 million | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 41.09 million | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 42.37 million | +3.1% |
| 2022 | 43.56 million | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 45.21 million | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 45.89 million | +1.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 45.89 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 300,000, 153.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- China's 45.89 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 117,197, 391.5× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.06 million | 506,000 | 1.33 million | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.80 million | 1.33 million | 2.23 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.85 million | 2.46 million | 6.53 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.94 million | 7.55 million | 30.60 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 37.27 million | 32.45 million | 41.40 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.59 million | 37.71 million | 40.80 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.62 million | 41.09 million | 45.89 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.0314 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.0951 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.0082 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.3742 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0666 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 923.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is animals slaughtered for meat in China?
- Animals slaughtered for meat in China was 45.89 million in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest animals slaughtered for meat recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 45.89 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest animals slaughtered for meat recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 506,000 in 1961.
- How does China rank for animals slaughtered for meat?
- China ranks 1st out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is animals slaughtered for meat rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Animals slaughtered for meat. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).