The 2025 State of the Red Meat Industry report released this week shows an industry with turnover of $77.1 billion, an employer of 462,272 people, and a sector with exports of $19.5 billion and total value-add of $14.3 billion.

They’re significant numbers, despite being somewhat diminished in the report by the inclusion of charts comparing red meat with larger sectors, which have the effect of reducing the industry’s contribution just 1.5 percent, 1.5 percent, 3.2 percent and 0.8 percent respectively of Australia’s overall economy.

Taken in that way those figures don’t particularly reinforce the message of an industry that contributes as much many know it does to the broader Australian economy.

But the broader story is captured in a series of data snapshots that collectively paint a picture of an industry that punches well above its actual weight on the domestic and world stage.

Examples include:

• Australia with 30.4 million cattle accounts for just 1.9 percent of the global cattle herd, but is the world’s second largest beef exporter after Brazil.

• In 2023-24 Australia had 79,892 red meat and livestock businesses, up 3.7 percent from 2022-23.

• The report underlines the high levels of production achieved in 2024 with adult cattle slaughter rising 18.3pc year-on-year to 8.3 million head, beef and veal production increasing 16pc year-on-year to 2.6 million tonnes and beef exports rising 24pc year-on-year to 1.34 million tonnes, including grainfed beef exports increasing 18pc year-on-year to 375,197 tonnes.

• Australia accounts for three percent of global beef production, producing 2.6 million tonnes of beef veal annually.

• On average Australian consumers eat 22.4kg of beef per year which compares to a global beef consumption per capita average of 6kg.

• Australian consumers also consume 7kg of sheepmeat per capita per year for a combined red meat total of almost 30kg.

• Despite a gradual decrease that occurred in Australia’s per capita consumption of red meat from the early 2000s, consumption has stabilised over the past five years.

• NeilsenIQ data shows that 92 percent of Australian households purchased beef in 2024.

• In 2024, fewer Australian claimed to be reducing their red meat intake at 24 percent, down nearly one third from previous years.

• MLA Community Sentiment Research shows that the proportion of “reducers” has remained broadly steady for the past 10 years.

• Globally, the consumption of meat is steadily increasing at an annual rate of 0.7pc per year

• China remains the world’s largest importer of beef in volume terms, followed by the US and Japan.

• In 2023-24, Australia’s red meat and livestock industry turnover was $77.1 billion.

• Of that total, livestock production accounted for 45.8 percent or $35.3 billion; processing accounted for 34.4 percent or $27.3 billion and wholesale and retail sales accounted for 18.8 percent, or $14.5 billion.

• Australia’s red meat and livestock industry value add (the overall value of goods and services produced by businesses the industry) in 2023-24 was $14.3 billion.

• That was 43.3 percent lower than the previous 2022-23 – the primary reason given for the sharp reduction was the dramatic decline in cattle and sheep prices that occurred through the second half of 2023.

• In 2023-24, the Australian red meat and livestock industry employed 462,272 people, including 197,512 direct employees of the industry.

• The production sector accounted for 132,498 jobs, while the processing sector accounted for 31,703 jobs, with the remainder in wholesaling and retailing.

• In 2024, Australia’s top three beef export destinations (in volume terms) were US (394,544 tonnes swt, or 29.4pc of total exports), Japan (247,605 tonnes swt, or 18.4pc of total exports) and Greater China (231,075 tonnes swt, or 17.2pc of total exports).

• The industry’s critical importance to regional Australia is underscored by figures showing that 85 percent of meat and livestock employees live in rural and regional areas, while 60pc of meat processing employment and 95pc of all production employment are located outside capital cities.