Contents
- US pork consumption statistics: Recent per-capita disappearance and outlook
- US pork consumption statistics: Historical per-person pork availability
- US pork consumption statistics: Fresh cuts and processed pork products
- US pork consumption statistics: Household income and pork consumption
- US pork consumption statistics: Race, ethnicity, and pork consumption
- US pork consumption: U.S. pork consumption by at-home and away-from-home source
- US pork consumption: Regional and age differences in U.S. pork consumption
- Sources
US pork consumption statistics: Recent per-capita disappearance and outlook
Recent USDA figures use per-capita disappearance, a supply-based measure reported at retail weight. It is useful to distinguish that measure from survey estimates of food consumed by individuals: disappearance is not a direct count of what each person ate. The June 2026 Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook reports 49.3 retail pounds per capita for 2025. The report’s quarterly entries for that year were 12.4 pounds in the first quarter, 12.0 in the second, 12.0 in the third, and 13.1 in the fourth. These quarterly figures and the annual total are reported in their stated retail-pound units. Source: USDA, Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook: June 2026, table “U.S. red meat and poultry forecasts,” p. 22
| Period | Pork per-capita disappearance, retail pounds | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q1 | 12.4 | Reported figure |
| 2025 Q2 | 12.0 | Reported figure |
| 2025 Q3 | 12.0 | Reported figure |
| 2025 Q4 | 13.1 | Reported figure |
| 2025 annual | 49.3 | Reported figure |
| 2026 Q1 | 12.4 | Forecast in June 2026 outlook |
| 2026 annual | 49.6 | Forecast in June 2026 outlook |
| 2027 annual | 50.0 | Forecast in June 2026 outlook |
The outlook’s 2026 and 2027 values are forecasts as of the June 2026 publication, not later observed totals. The table marks forecast values in bold. The 2026 first-quarter entry is also a forecast in that outlook. These estimates offer a view of the outlook at that publication date; they should not be presented as actual consumption results. Source: USDA, Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook: June 2026, table “U.S. red meat and poultry forecasts,” p. 22
US pork consumption statistics: Historical per-person pork availability
The historical series in ERS’s Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption reports fresh and processed pork consumption in pounds per capita, measured as retail-weight equivalents. It records 58.7 pounds in 1960, 51.5 in 1965, and 55.4 in 1970. The next selected years show 42.9 pounds in 1975 and 56.8 in 1980. Later entries are 51.5 pounds in 1985, 49.4 in 1990, and 51.5 in 1995. The selected-year data show movement across the period rather than a single uninterrupted direction. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 1, p. 4
These figures are per-capita consumption estimates for fresh and processed pork with a retail-weight-equivalent basis. They are not directly interchangeable with every measure called “availability.” ERS’s separate historical food-availability report explains that its core availability estimates serve as proxies rather than direct measures of actual consumption, and that the availability values in its Table 7 are in edible-weight units. That report’s definition is a reminder to retain the measure and unit attached to a series instead of combining unlike estimates into one trend. Source: USDA ERS, Dietary Assessment of Major Trends in U.S. Food Consumption, 1970–2005, discussion of food-availability measures and Table 7
The pork report’s selected-year values provide one long-run view, while the June 2026 outlook provides a recent retail-weight disappearance series. Both are per-person measures, but the reports describe them differently: one as fresh and processed consumption in retail-weight equivalents, the other as disappearance at retail weight. Keeping those labels visible helps readers compare the broad subject without assuming the estimates have identical construction or meaning. Sources: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 1, p. 4; USDA, Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook: June 2026, Table “U.S. red meat and poultry forecasts,” p. 22
US pork consumption statistics: Fresh cuts and processed pork products
ERS’s survey-based product breakdown assigns 37.7% of total pork consumption to total fresh pork and 62.3% to total processed pork. Within the fresh category, chops accounted for 10.8% of total pork, steak 3.7%, ribs 3.7%, fresh ham 4.9%, fresh nonspecified cuts 13.1%, and offal 1.6%. These are shares of total pork consumption in the report’s product table; they are not percentages of fresh pork alone. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 2, p. 6
| Product grouping | Share of total pork consumption |
|---|---|
| Total fresh | 37.7% |
| Chops | 10.8% |
| Steak | 3.7% |
| Ribs | 3.7% |
| Fresh ham | 4.9% |
| Fresh nonspecified | 13.1% |
| Offal | 1.6% |
| Total processed | 62.3% |
The report’s processed-pork category requires a specific reading. For this analysis, it defines processed pork as canned and dehydrated products. The product shares are estimated from 1994–1996 and 1998 CSFII survey data, distributed using ERS pork disappearance data. They describe the report’s historical survey-based breakdown, not a present-day retail mix. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 2 and methodological notes
This distinction matters when reading the fresh-cut entries. Chops, steak, ribs, ham, nonspecified fresh cuts, and offal are listed as parts of the overall total, alongside total processed pork. The table provides a compact description of how the report allocated pork consumption across those product types. It does not establish why consumers selected one type over another or indicate how preferences changed after the underlying survey period. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 2, p. 6
US pork consumption statistics: Household income and pork consumption
The income comparison groups households by income as a percentage of the poverty threshold and reports estimated per-capita pounds for all pork, fresh-market pork, and processed pork. In the 1994–1996 and 1998 CSFII-based estimates, the under-130%-of-poverty-threshold group had 54.0 pounds of all pork per capita, including 21.2 pounds of fresh-market pork and 32.8 pounds of processed pork. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 3, p. 7
| Household income category | All pork (lb per capita) | Fresh-market (lb per capita) | Processed (lb per capita) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 130% of poverty threshold | 54.0 | 21.2 | 32.8 |
| 131–350% of poverty threshold | 52.4 | 18.9 | 33.5 |
| Over 350% of poverty threshold | 48.0 | 18.0 | Not stated here |
For the group at 131–350% of the poverty threshold, the estimates were 52.4 pounds per capita for all pork, 18.9 pounds for fresh-market pork, and 33.5 pounds for processed pork. For households above 350% of the threshold, the reported figures include 48.0 pounds of all pork and 18.0 pounds of fresh-market pork. The processed figure is not included here because no checked observation was provided for that cell; it should not be read as zero. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 3, p. 7
These comparisons describe estimated per-capita amounts by the report’s income categories. They do not by themselves explain the differences between categories or show household purchases, individual dietary choices, or current consumption. The report derived estimates by distributing ERS pork-disappearance data using CSFII survey shares and dividing by average population. Its CSFII population covered noninstitutionalized people in the 50 States and Washington, DC; the 1998 survey augmented the child sample. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 3 and methodological notes
US pork consumption statistics: Race, ethnicity, and pork consumption
The report’s race and ethnicity comparison uses categories labeled “White, non-Hispanic,” “Black, non-Hispanic,” and “Hispanic.” In the survey-based estimates, non-Hispanic White consumers had 49.0 pounds of all pork per capita: 16.0 pounds of fresh-market pork and 33.0 pounds of processed pork. Non-Hispanic Black consumers had 63.4 pounds of all pork per capita, including 25.3 pounds fresh-market and 38.1 pounds processed. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 4, p. 8
| Report category | All pork (lb per capita) | Fresh-market (lb per capita) | Processed (lb per capita) |
|---|---|---|---|
| White, non-Hispanic | 49.0 | 16.0 | 33.0 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 63.4 | 25.3 | 38.1 |
| Hispanic | 44.9 | 21.3 | Not stated here |
The Hispanic category had an estimated 44.9 pounds of all pork per capita and 21.3 pounds of fresh-market pork. The processed value is not shown here because the checked observations do not include it. These figures should be read using the report’s labels and historical survey period rather than generalized to all people in those broad categories today. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 4, p. 8
As with the income table, these numbers are ERS estimates built from survey shares applied to pork disappearance data, not direct current-year measurements for each group. They provide comparable per-capita estimates within the report’s framework. The categories do not supply explanations for the observed amounts, and the values should not be used to infer causes or individual behavior. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 4 and methodological notes
US pork consumption: U.S. pork consumption by at-home and away-from-home source
The source-of-food table classifies pork by where it was obtained or prepared. In the CSFII-based estimate, at-home food accounted for 77.8% of all pork, or 39.8 pounds per capita. Away-from-home food accounted for 22.2%, or 11.2 pounds per capita. “At home” and “away from home” describe the source category in the report; they do not necessarily identify where a person ate the food. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 5, p. 9
For fresh-market pork, the at-home source accounted for 81.8% of the category and 15.7 pounds per capita. For processed pork, at-home food represented 75.8% and amounted to 24.1 pounds per capita. These percentages use the relevant pork category as their denominator: fresh-market for the first percentage and processed for the second. They should not be conflated with the 77.8% share of all pork. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 5, p. 9
Together, the all-pork, fresh-market, and processed entries show that the report tracked both the proportion attributed to each source and per-capita pounds. The checked away-from-home observations cover all pork: its 22.2% share and 11.2 pounds per capita. No fresh-market or processed away-from-home values are stated here, so the at-home figures should not be used to construct them. The estimates are based on 1994–1996 and 1998 CSFII data. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 5 and methodological notes
US pork consumption: Regional and age differences in U.S. pork consumption
The regional comparison reports estimated all-pork consumption in pounds per capita for 4 Census regions. The Northeast figure was 50.8 pounds; the Midwest was 57.7 pounds; the South was 52.3 pounds; and the West was 42.0 pounds. All refer to the report’s 1994–1996 and 1998 CSFII-based estimates. This is a regional comparison within that survey framework, not a current ranking. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 8, p. 12
The same report’s urban, suburban, and rural comparison gives 49.2 pounds per capita for urban consumers, 48.4 pounds for suburban consumers, and 59.5 pounds for rural consumers. These are report-defined categories, presented as estimated all-pork amounts. They are separate from the Census-region groupings and should not be combined with them as if they described the same geographic classification. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Table 9, p. 14
Although the section heading includes age, the checked observations here do not provide age-specific pork consumption values. The available population comparisons are by Census region and urban, suburban, or rural category. The estimates share the report’s historical basis: survey consumption shares were applied to ERS disappearance data and divided by average population. As a result, they support discussion of the reported comparisons and their definitions, but not claims about current regional or age patterns. Source: USDA ERS, Factors Affecting U.S. Pork Consumption, Tables 8–9 and methodological notes