[OC] Die Zahl der Rinder pro US-Einwohner ist auf den niedrigsten Stand seit Beginn der Aufzeichnungen gesunken (1960–2026).
Von Low_Ability4450
[OC] Die Zahl der Rinder pro US-Einwohner ist auf den niedrigsten Stand seit Beginn der Aufzeichnungen gesunken (1960–2026).
Von Low_Ability4450
26 Kommentare
There are only a handful of physical constraints behind food prices, and this is one of them.
The U.S. cattle herd has not kept pace with population growth for decades.
Data from USDA NASS, Census/FRED and BLS show:
– Jan. 1, 2026 cattle inventory: 86.2 million head (smallest herd since 1951)
– Herd peak: 132.0 million in 1975
– Cattle per U.S. resident: ~0.25 today (about one animal for every four Americans), down from ~0.61 in 1975, the lowest on record.
– Average retail ground beef price: $6.90/lb in 2026 (+78% vs. 2020, nominal).
The price isn’t explained by herd size alone. Feed costs, drought, imports, processing capacity, consumer demand and inflation all matter.
The interesting part is the per-capita perspective => In absolute terms today’s herd is roughly back to early-1950s levels.
But the U.S. population has more than doubled since then so cattle availability per resident has steadily declined for decades.
Is this simply another cattle cycle that reverses as ranchers rebuild the herd, or evidence of a longer-term structural shift? Curious how people here interpret it.
Tool : made in Python (matplotlib).
Sources:
– USDA NASS cattle inventory
– U.S. Census / FRED population
– BLS retail ground beef prices
That’s because we can import it for cheaper
The economics of cattle ranching seem pretty hard, and often not worth it, especially with competition from Argentina and other places.
Considering how most people’s economic lives are going I’m not surprised to see them shifting away from expensive meats and probably towards cheaper meats.
I’m sorry to all the consumers out there, but as a beef farmer, I hope it stays this way.
It finally feels like my small herd is worth having around. With all the work that goes into it, it feels great to know that all the pain will be worth it.
A side benefit is in my area, drift less Minnesota, there’s tons of old beef farmers retiring. It seems like either their pastures are going back to forest for deer hunting or the best pastures are being taken up by young beginning farmers who tend to use new and less land intensive practices. It’s great to see.
Recent NPR article [Why the U.S. cattle herd is at a 75-year low — and what it means for beef prices](https://www.npr.org/2026/05/29/nx-s1-5719511/beef-cattle-herd-food-prices)
Would it be viable to add acres of corn to that chart? Even better, amount of ethanol produced.
People switched to chicken and beef imports are up. There not a problem here unless someone screws up the trading system…
1920 – 1975 isn’t a century….
I would love to see two additional lines on this. One that shows cattle imports in the same fashion and another line that shows dollar per pound of ground beef.
[https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/charts-of-note/93225](https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/charts-of-note/93225)
It’s not as simple as the number of cattle.
Don’t know the last time I bought ground beef. After it raised to $4/pound I stopped looking.
Now tacos are chicken, shrimp, and fish.
why does the graphic say 1920-1975 is a century?
Looks like the shocking title has been true for just about every day since 1980.
Yes, but overall beef production is up. Cattle are a lot bigger than they used to be.
https://preview.redd.it/6lbpx6r55leh1.png?width=1005&format=png&auto=webp&s=5012b3306ddb5abb312b490a5add9e10782da923
We also have never had more vegetarians
Rookie numbers let’s drive those down further
Dairy cows have more than doubled productivity since 1980 (national average up from 11,000 to >24,000 lb per cow). That increased productivity lets the herd size drop to half with the same production.
I’m not sure the proportions. NASS says there are 86 million cows of which 28 million are beefers and 10 million are dairy. Are the rest replacement stock?
Thank goodness. Now lets get those Bison numbers up.
Anyone know of any research looking at the impact of the US being unable to use „Nation of Origin“ labeling on beef sold in the USA on US beef production?
It’s because all you fuckers on road trips keep claiming them. The „my cows“ policy is decimating the industry.
(/S)
Now check out the graph of deforestation of the Amazon and other South American rainforests.
Number of hats has hit an all time high I bet.
If we have competition from Argentina shouldn’t prices go down? Not up!
But what about Kevin Costner? /s
We just keep exporting everything that used to create a great middle class
Good news but still need to be reduced by 90% more