On December 15th 2025 the USDA-Economic Research Service released updated production and consumption data with respect to broilers and turkeys, covering 2024 an updated projection for 2025 and a forecast for 2026.
The 2025 projection for broiler production is 48,086 million lbs. (21.857 million metric tons) up 2.3 percent from 2024. USDA projected per capita consumption of 103.1 lbs. (46.9 kg.) for 2025, up 2.0 percent from 2024. Exports will attain 6,646 million lbs. (3.021 million metric tons), 0.5 percent below the previous year.
The 2026 USDA forecast for broiler production will be 48,550 million lbs. (22,068 million metric tons) up 1.0 percent from 2025 with per capita consumption up 0.4 lb. to 103.5 lbs. (47.0 kg). Exports will be 1.0 percent higher compared to 2025 at 6,715 million lbs. (3.052 million metric tons), equivalent to 13.8 percent of production.
Production values for the broiler and turkey segments of the U.S. poultry meat industry are tabulated below:-
|
Parameter
|
2024
(actual)
|
2025
(projection)
|
2026
(forecast)
|
Difference
2023 to 2024
%
|
|
Broilers
|
|
|
|
|
|
Production (million lbs.)
|
46,994
|
48,086
|
48,550
|
+2.3
|
|
Consumption (lbs. per capita)
|
101.1
|
103.1
|
103.5
|
+2.8
|
|
Exports (million lbs.)
|
6,680
|
6,646
|
6,715
|
-0.5
|
|
Proportion of production (%)
|
14.2
|
14.0
|
13.8
|
-1.4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Turkeys
|
|
|
|
|
|
Production (million lbs.)
|
5,121
|
4,822
|
4,995
|
-5.8
|
|
Consumption (lbs. per capita)
|
13.8
|
13.1
|
13.3
|
-5.1
|
|
Exports (million lbs.)
|
486
|
412
|
400
|
-15.2
|
|
Proportion of production (%)
|
9.5
|
8.5
|
8.1
|
-10.5
|
Source: Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook released December 15th 2025
The December USDA report updated projection for the turkey industry for 2025 included annual production of 4,822 million lbs. (2.192 million metric tons), down 5.1 percent from 2024. Consumption in 2025 is projected to be 13.1 lbs. (6.0 kg.) per capita, down 6.4 percent from the previous year. Export volume will decrease by 15.2 percent in 2025 to 412 million lbs. (187,272 metric tons). Values for production and consumption of RTC turkey in 2025 are considered to be realistic, given year to date data, the prevailing economy, variable weekly hen and tom placements, production levels, ongoing losses from HPAI and inventories consistent with season.
The 2026 forecast for turkey production is 4,955 million lbs. (2.252 million metric tons) up 2.8 percent from 2025 with per capita consumption up 1.5 percent to 13.3 lbs. (5.4 kg). Exports will be 3.0 percent lower than in 2025 to 400 million lbs. (181,818 metric tons) equivalent to 8.1 percent of production.
Export projections do not allow for a breakdown in trade relations with existing major partners including Mexico, Canada and China nor the impact of catastrophic diseases including HPAI and vvND in either the U.S. or importing nations