Beef and Buffalo Meat, primary — Production in China
China: Beef and Buffalo Meat, primary — Production was 7.81 million t in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Beef and Buffalo Meat, primary — Production in China, 1961–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.
Analysis
The most recent figure for beef and buffalo meat, primary — production in China is 7.81 million t, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 26.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, beef and buffalo meat, primary — production in China peaked at 7.81 million t in 2024 and was at its lowest, 79,408 t, in 1961.
That places China 3rd out of 190 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.
Beef and Buffalo Meat, primary — Production in China, year by year
| Year | t | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 79,408 t | — |
| 1962 | 107,441 t | +35.3% |
| 1963 | 134,654 t | +25.3% |
| 1964 | 152,531 t | +13.3% |
| 1965 | 167,752 t | +10.0% |
| 1966 | 181,123 t | +8.0% |
| 1967 | 185,539 t | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 188,982 t | +1.9% |
| 1969 | 196,169 t | +3.8% |
| 1970 | 197,593 t | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 215,087 t | +8.9% |
| 1972 | 229,905 t | +6.9% |
| 1973 | 250,499 t | +9.0% |
| 1974 | 258,423 t | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 270,471 t | +4.7% |
| 1976 | 270,354 t | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 284,676 t | +5.3% |
| 1978 | 282,126 t | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 315,437 t | +11.8% |
| 1980 | 342,066 t | +8.4% |
| 1981 | 352,093 t | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 363,742 t | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 401,873 t | +10.5% |
| 1984 | 453,312 t | +12.8% |
| 1985 | 511,136 t | +12.8% |
| 1986 | 634,091 t | +24.1% |
| 1987 | 838,172 t | +32.2% |
| 1988 | 997,068 t | +19.0% |
| 1989 | 1.11 million t | +11.2% |
| 1990 | 1.28 million t | +15.5% |
| 1991 | 1.54 million t | +20.2% |
| 1992 | 1.78 million t | +15.7% |
| 1993 | 2.23 million t | +25.1% |
| 1994 | 2.42 million t | +8.7% |
| 1995 | 2.90 million t | +20.0% |
| 1996 | 3.25 million t | +12.1% |
| 1997 | 3.98 million t | +22.2% |
| 1998 | 4.38 million t | +10.1% |
| 1999 | 5.08 million t | +16.1% |
| 2000 | 5.16 million t | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 5.11 million t | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 5.24 million t | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 5.45 million t | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 5.62 million t | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 5.70 million t | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 5.92 million t | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 6.28 million t | +6.0% |
| 2008 | 6.19 million t | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 6.28 million t | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 6.31 million t | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 6.12 million t | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 6.16 million t | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 6.15 million t | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 6.17 million t | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 6.18 million t | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 6.18 million t | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 6.36 million t | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 6.45 million t | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 6.69 million t | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 6.74 million t | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 6.99 million t | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 7.20 million t | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 7.54 million t | +4.8% |
| 2024 | 7.81 million t | +3.5% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 7.81 million t is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 60,060 t, 130.0× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- China's 7.81 million t is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 53,694 t, 145.4× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 154,844 t | 79,408 t | 196,169 t | 9 |
| 1970s | 257,457 t | 197,593 t | 315,437 t | 10 |
| 1980s | 600,209 t | 342,066 t | 1.11 million t | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.88 million t | 1.28 million t | 5.08 million t | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.70 million t | 5.11 million t | 6.28 million t | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.28 million t | 6.12 million t | 6.69 million t | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.26 million t | 6.74 million t | 7.81 million t | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 1 Brazil 10.24 million t compare
- 2 USSR 8.26 million t compare
- 3 Türkiye 1.50 million t compare
- 4 China, mainland 7.79 million t compare
- 5 India 4.57 million t compare
- 5 United Republic of Tanzania 666,227 t compare
- 6 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 418,690 t compare
- 6 Australia and New Zealand 3.33 million t compare
More agriculture & rural data for China
- 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)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3366 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is beef and buffalo meat, primary — production in China?
- Beef and buffalo meat, primary — production in China was 7.81 million t in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest beef and buffalo meat, primary — production recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 7.81 million t in 2024.
- What is the lowest beef and buffalo meat, primary — production recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 79,408 t in 1961.
- How does China rank for beef and buffalo meat, primary — production?
- China ranks 3rd out of 190 countries with data for 2024.
- Is beef and buffalo meat, primary — production rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Beef and Buffalo Meat, primary — Production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Crop and livestock statistics are recorded for 278 products, covering the following categories: 1) CROPS PRIMARY: Cereals, Citrus Fruit, Fibre Crops, Fruit, Oil Crops, Oil Crops and Cakes in Oil Equivalent, Pulses, Roots and Tubers, Sugar Crops, Treenuts and Vegetables. Data are expressed in terms of area harvested, production quantity and yield. Cereals: Area and production data on cereals relate to crops harvested for dry grain only. Cereal crops harvested for hay or harvested green for food, feed or silage or used for grazing are therefore excluded. 2) CROPS PROCESSED: Beer of barley; Cotton lint; Cottonseed; Margarine, short; Molasses; Oil, coconut (copra); Oil, cottonseed; Oil, groundnut; Oil, linseed; Oil, maize; Oil, olive, virgin; Oil, palm; Oil, palm kernel; Oil, rapeseed; Oil, safflower; Oil, sesame; Oil, soybean; Oil, sunflower; Palm kernels; Sugar Raw Centrifugal; Wine. 3) LIVE ANIMALS: Animals live n.e.s.; Asses; Beehives; Buffaloes; Camelids, other; Camels; Cattle; Chickens; Ducks; Geese and guinea fowls; Goats; Horses; Mules; Pigeons, other birds; Pigs; Rabbits and hares; Rodents, other; Sheep; Turkeys. 4) LIVESTOCK PRIMARY: Beeswax; Eggs (various types); Hides buffalo, fresh; Hides, cattle, fresh; Honey, natural; Meat (ass, bird nes, buffalo, camel, cattle, chicken, duck, game, goat, goose and guinea fowl, horse, mule, Meat nes, meat other camelids, Meat other rodents, pig, rabbit, sheep, turkey); Milk (buffalo, camel, cow, goat, sheep); Offals, nes; Silk-worm cocoons, reelable; Skins (goat, sheep); Snails, not sea; Wool, greasy. 5) LIVESTOCK PROCESSED: Butter (of milk from sheep, goat, buffalo, cow); Cheese (of milk from goat, buffalo, sheep, cow milk); Cheese of skimmed cow milk; Cream fresh; Ghee (cow and buffalo milk); Lard; Milk (dry buttermilk, skimmed condensed, skimmed cow, skimmed dried, skimmed evaporated, whole condensed, whole dried, whole evaporated); Silk raw; Tallow; Whey (condensed and dry); Yoghurt.