Food industry

Written by Jeff Downs on November 20, 2023

There are very few countries on the planet that are cruelty-free.

How Many Animals are Killed Annually for Food

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals estimate that more than 29 million cows suffer and die in the meat and dairy industries every year. In the USA, approximately 9 billion chickens are killed for their flesh each year and 305 million hens are used for their eggs. Of the millions of pigs killed every year for food, more than 1 million die annually just during transport to the slaughterhouse, and at least 40,000 have sustained injuries by the time they arrive. An estimated 245 million turkeys are raised and killed for their flesh every year in the U.S. More than 46 million of them are killed each year at Thanksgiving alone, and more than 22 million die at Christmas. More than 31 million ducks are killed each year for their flesh and for cruelly obtained foie gras. More fish are killed for food each year than all other animals combined, as tens of billions of fish and shellfish are slaughtered annually.