T. Ozbun
Research expert covering food retail and all food topics for Italy and Brazil
Meat industry in Italy - statistics & facts
Prosciutto, salami, mortadella – three iconic names that epitomize the essence of Italian cold cuts. These delicacies have gained worldwide recognition, contributing to the vibrant segment of Italian cured meats. In today's modern Italian meat industry, both pork, which forms the foundation of most cold cuts, and beef play vital roles. In 2021, the meat industry in Italy generated a revenue of approximately 26.3 billion euros. Over the period, the production value of the processing and preserving of meat has shown some fluctuations, but growing overall and peaking at close to 25 billion euros in 2021.
The Italian meat industry, while profitable and continuously expanding, is currently facing challenges due to increasing prices and shifting consumer behaviors and consumption patterns.
Animal slaughter in Italy
The slaughter of both young cattle and bulls in Italy saw an overall downward trend in recent years. In 2023, close to 74 thousand heads of young cattle were slaughtered in Italy, a decrease from the peak of 99 thousand heads recorded in 2012. Similarly, more than 749 thousand heads of bulls were slaughtered in 2023, down from 1.74 million heads in 2010. The slaughter of poultry in Italy, however, has increased in the last decade. In 2023, 601.5 million poultry animals were slaughtered.Consumption of meat in Italy
While other European countries, such as Germany and France, have seen a significant decrease in meat consumption, Italy hasn’t seen such a drastic reduction. In 2022, the per capita consumption of pig meat reached 28.4 kilograms per head, and remained relatively unchanged since 2016. The same is true for both beef and poultry in Italy, fluctuations withstanding. In 2021, the average monthly household expenditure on beef products totaled 31.7 euros for beef products. The average monthly expenditure on poultry products totaled 19.3 euros.Meat pricing in Italy
The consumer price index, which is a measure of the average change in the price of a good over time, paints a picture of the inflation and deflation in the market. The monthly consumer price index of meat and meat products in Italy saw a significant increase in the last year. The monthly index of poultry meats was around 106.1 in early 2020. In October 2023, however, the consumer price index of poultry peaked, and was reported to be 132.2.The Italian meat industry, while profitable and continuously expanding, is currently facing challenges due to increasing prices and shifting consumer behaviors and consumption patterns.
