M. Shahbandeh
Research expert covering agriculture & FMCG
Hog and pig farming in the U.S. and worldwide - statistics & facts
China leads by far in pork production worldwide, producing more than the amount of pork produced in the United States and Europe combined. The gap is predicted to grow even further in 2024. In fact, China was home to the largest number of pigs of any country with over 430 million heads as of April 2024.
As of March 2023, Iowa had an inventory of about 23.5 million hogs and pigs, making it the top producer of swine in the country by a large margin. In that same year, the second largest producer of hogs and pigs was Minnesota, with about nine million heads. The state of Iowa is also by far the leading producer of hogs in the United States with a live weight production of approximately 11 billion pounds. Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) in the U.S., using hogs and pigs, has continued to generate a lot of concerns public health and waste management concerns as well as elicit very strong criticisms from animal welfare activists.
Pig farming in the U.S.
In hog and pig farming in the U.S., the animals are allowed to roam freely, raised in a homestead, or bred within intensive commercial units in an industrial farm system. The number of hogs and pigs kept for breeding in the U.S. amounted to above six million and about 128 million hogs are slaughtered annually in the United States.As of March 2023, Iowa had an inventory of about 23.5 million hogs and pigs, making it the top producer of swine in the country by a large margin. In that same year, the second largest producer of hogs and pigs was Minnesota, with about nine million heads. The state of Iowa is also by far the leading producer of hogs in the United States with a live weight production of approximately 11 billion pounds. Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) in the U.S., using hogs and pigs, has continued to generate a lot of concerns public health and waste management concerns as well as elicit very strong criticisms from animal welfare activists.
Leading manufacturers
In 2023, the market capitalization of Hormel Foods amounted to approximately 21.4 billion U.S. dollars worldwide, making the company the leading meat producer globally and overtaking competitors such as Tyson and Pilgrim's Pride. In 2023, Hormel Foods generated net sales amounting to approximately 721.5 million U.S. dollars outside the United States. A much larger share of the net sales were generated within the United States.Pork consumption trends
Although many younger consumers in the U.S. are likely to consume meat substitutes regularly, older generations are still mainly eating meat products. When it comes to red meat, it is predicted that beef consumption is going to reduce in the United States in the next ten years, while pork consumption is going to grow in that period. Globally the demand for pork is not slowing down either. It is predicted that the global consumption of pork will increase continuously and will amount to around 129 million metric tons by 2031.
