Chicken Overtakes Beef in Argentina for First Time on Record

Chicken consumption surpassed beef in Argentina for the first time in recorded history, according to a 12-month rolling measure from the IERAL institute. Between August 2025 and July 2026, per capita poultry intake hit 47 kilos versus 46.7 kilos for beef.

Pork consumption also rose to 20.1 kilos per person, reflecting a broader shift in the national diet. The change occurred while beef prices remained historically high despite a recent pullback from March peaks.

“The lower availability and higher prices of beef did not translate into an equivalent reduction in total meat consumption, as households replaced part of bovine consumption with chicken and pork.”

In August 2026, a basket of 18 beef cuts averaged $17,871 per kilo, still 30.3% above the two-decade average for that month. Live cattle prices at the Cañuelas market followed a similar pattern, staying 25.1% above the historical August norm.

The price gap drove household substitution: one kilo of beef cost the same as 3.6 kilos of whole chicken over the past year. Industry leaders had anticipated the crossover since late 2024, though official annual data for 2025 still showed beef ahead.

The IERAL report notes that total meat consumption did not fall proportionally as households replaced beef with cheaper poultry and pork alternatives.