South Koreans Are Chicken Fanatics: 26 Chickens Per Year! See the Surprising Stats

According to a recent survey, the average South Korean eats 26 chickens annually.

The Korean Rural Economic Institute released agricultural outlook statistics that reported the average chicken consumption per person in South Korea exceeded 20 chickens last year.

The total number of chickens slaughtered in the nation last year was 1,011,370,000. By dividing this figure by the approximate 50 million people living in the country, it is calculated that each person consumed more than 20 chickens.

The quantity of chicken imported into South Korea far exceeds the amount exported. When South Korean and imported chickens are combined, the consumption within South Korea reached 789,000 tons last year, 30% more than the production of 607,000 tons, meaning an individual consumes roughly 26 chickens.

This amounts to about 34.6 pounds (15.7 kg) of boneless chicken meat consumed annually by weight alone.

Thanks to the growing popularity of chicken in Korea, consumption surged from 3.1 pounds (1.4 kg) in 1970 to 17.2 pounds (7.8 kg) by 2003 and has continued to rise over the past two decades.

Chicken consumption is at its peak in the summer, with over 100 million chickens slaughtered in July alone, 30 million more than February, the lowest month of consumption.

Despite the increased chicken consumption, South Korea’s overall chicken consumption remains relatively low globally.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reported that South Korea’s estimated poultry consumption this year is 38.8 pounds (17.6 kg), which is higher than the global average of 32.2 pounds (14.6 kg) but lower than the consumption in the U.S., which is a staggering 108.1 pounds (49.3 kg) per person, and the European Union, which averages 50.9 pounds (23.1 kg).

In Asia, Malaysia, which has a sizeable Muslim population, tops the list for chicken consumption at 104.7 pounds (47.4 kg) per person. In comparison, Japan and China consume 29.5 pounds (13.4 kg) and 31.1 pounds (14.1 kg) of chicken per person, respectively, lower than South Korea’s consumption.