Chicken overtakes beef as Argentina’s most consumed meat

For the first time in history, chicken has displaced beef as the meat most consumed by Argentines. 

According to the most recent available comparative data between beef, chicken, and pork, annual chicken consumption between August 2025 and July 2026 was 47 kilos per person, while beef stood at 46.7 kilos per person.

Pork consumption also rose, reaching a record 20.1 kilos per person.

The change comes amid rising beef prices. According to a report by Juan Manuel Garzón and Franco Artusso of the Institute for Research on the Argentine and Latin American Reality (Ieral) at Fundación Mediterránea, households have found significantly lower prices for key substitutes over the past year.

The difference is evidenced in a direct comparison. The cost of one kilo of beef is enough to purchase an average of 3.6 kilos of whole poultry or 1.9 kilos of pork ribs.

Beef consumption falls to historic levels Additional data shows that beef consumption between September 2025 and August 2026 reached its lowest level since records began in 1990.

In 2024-2025, the figure was approximately 50.8 kilos. That represents a drop of 4.6 kilos per person, or around 9%.

The indicator does not directly measure household purchases but rather the amount of meat available for the domestic market. It is calculated by taking national production, adding imports, and deducting exports.

The lower availability was mainly linked to a decline in production. Over the last 12 months, cattle slaughter fell 8.8%, while production dropped 6.2%.

In per capita terms, production went from 69 to 64.6 kilos, while exports grew from 18.6 to 19.4 kilos. Imports increased from 0.3 to 0.9 kilos, but they only compensated for a portion of the reduction.

Chicken and pork gain ground The decline in beef did not lead to an equivalent drop in total meat consumption, as households increased their consumption of chicken and pork in inverse proportion.

Between August 2025 and July 2026, the three meats accumulated a combined consumption of 113.8 kilos per inhabitant, just 2% less than during the previous 12 months and at levels similar to the averages of the last 10 years. 

Speaking to the La Nación media outlet, Garzón said that the phenomenon combines a long-term transformation with the current economic situation. 

“The structural change comes from quite a bit further back: beef consumption shows a long-term downward trend, while chicken and pork have been gaining share in the diet,” he said.

How much does beef cost, and why is it still expensive A basket consisting of 18 beef cuts averaged AR$17,871 (a little over US$11 at the official exchange rate) per kilo in August. 

In real terms, that price remained 10.1% below the peak reached in March but was 13.3% higher than in August 2025 and 30.3% above the average for the last 20 years for that same month.

According to the Fundación Mediterránea survey, August 2026 was the most expensive in real terms compared to the same months between 2006 and 2026.

Livestock showed a similar dynamic. Young steers at the Cañuelas Agro-livestock Market averaged AR$4,700 (US$3) per live kilo in August, 13.6% below the February peak, but still 11.1% above the same month of the previous year.

“We are not in a dynamic of continuous increases right now,” Garzón said, adding both livestock and consumer beef prices have been correcting following the February-March peaks.

Record exports and less beef available domestically While domestic supply declined, overseas sales performed favorably for the beef industry, with exports reaching very high levels.

Measured at constant August prices, the value of beef exports reached US$4.8 billion between September 2025 and August 2026, the highest figure in the series and 35.4% higher than the previous year. The average export price rose nearly 30% y-o-y, while the volume sold abroad increased 4.2%.

Average carcass weight, meanwhile, rose from 230.1 to 236.6 kilograms, a 2.9% increase that partially offset the lower number of animals sent for slaughter.

Originally published in Ámbito