Meat production in USSR
USSR: Meat production was 18.50 million tonnes in 1991. ▲ Rising
Latest (1991)
18.50 million tonnes
Change on year
down 7.5%
World rank
4th
of 202 countries
All-time high
20.09 million tonnes
in 1989
All-time low
8.29 million tonnes
in 1964
Years of data
31
1961–1991
Meat production in USSR, 1961–1991
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for meat production in USSR is 18.50 million tonnes, measured in 1991.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.5% on the previous year and up 21.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, meat production in USSR peaked at 20.09 million tonnes in 1989 and was at its lowest, 8.29 million tonnes, in 1964.
USSR ranks 4th of 202 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Meat production in USSR, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 8.70 million tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 9.46 million tonnes | +8.7% |
| 1963 | 10.20 million tonnes | +7.8% |
| 1964 | 8.29 million tonnes | -18.7% |
| 1965 | 9.96 million tonnes | +20.1% |
| 1966 | 10.70 million tonnes | +7.5% |
| 1967 | 11.52 million tonnes | +7.6% |
| 1968 | 11.65 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1969 | 11.77 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 12.28 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 1971 | 13.27 million tonnes | +8.0% |
| 1972 | 13.63 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 1973 | 13.53 million tonnes | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 14.62 million tonnes | +8.1% |
| 1975 | 15.06 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 13.39 million tonnes | -11.1% |
| 1977 | 14.72 million tonnes | +9.9% |
| 1978 | 15.50 million tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1979 | 15.49 million tonnes | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 15.07 million tonnes | -2.7% |
| 1981 | 15.20 million tonnes | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 15.37 million tonnes | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 16.45 million tonnes | +7.0% |
| 1984 | 16.97 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 1985 | 17.13 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 18.03 million tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1987 | 18.88 million tonnes | +4.7% |
| 1988 | 19.73 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 1989 | 20.09 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 20.01 million tonnes | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 18.50 million tonnes | -7.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.25 million tonnes | 8.29 million tonnes | 11.77 million tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 14.15 million tonnes | 12.28 million tonnes | 15.50 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.29 million tonnes | 15.07 million tonnes | 20.09 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.25 million tonnes | 18.50 million tonnes | 20.01 million tonnes | 2 |
Countries ranked near USSR
More agriculture & rural data for USSR
- Onions and shallots, dry (excluding dehydrated) — Area harvested 16.05 % change on previous year (1991)
- Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. — Area harvested, annual growth rate 6.94 % change on previous year (1991)
- Other fruits, n.e.c. — Production, annual growth rate -11.63 % change on previous year (1991)
- Other fruits, n.e.c. — Yield, annual growth rate -3.59 % change on previous year (1991)
- Other fruits, n.e.c. — Area harvested, annual growth rate -8.33 % change on previous year (1991)
- Onions and shallots, dry (excluding dehydrated) — Production, annual -1.37 % change on previous year (1991)
- Onions and shallots, dry (excluding dehydrated) — Yield, annual -15.01 % change on previous year (1991)
- Meat of goat, fresh or chilled — Production, annual growth rate -19.74 % change on previous year (1991)
- Meat of goat, fresh or chilled — Producing Animals/Slaughtered -21.05 % change on previous year (1991)
- Meat of sheep, fresh or chilled — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth 0 % change on previous year (1991)
Frequently asked questions
- What is meat production in USSR?
- Meat production in USSR was 18.50 million tonnes in 1991, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest meat production recorded in USSR?
- The highest recorded value was 20.09 million tonnes in 1989.
- What is the lowest meat production recorded in USSR?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.29 million tonnes in 1964.
- How does USSR rank for meat production?
- USSR ranks 4th out of 202 countries with data for 1991.
- Is meat production rising or falling in USSR?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this USSR data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Meat production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Expressed in tonnes. Includes cattle, poultry, sheep/mutton, goat, pigmeat, and wild game.