Overview
- Per-capita beef consumption fell from 52 kg in 1990 to about 30 kg in 2025, even as total meat intake grew roughly 12% on gains in poultry and pork.
- The asado’s real price sits about 47% above its 1996–2025 average—around $15,340 versus $10,449—pushing consumers toward cheaper proteins.
- Today the price trade-off is roughly 1 kg of beef to 4 kg of chicken, up from about 1 to 2 around 2000, reflecting a stark shift in relative prices.
- Over the past 23 years, beef exports rose about 230% by volume and more than 900% by value, which the report says has added pressure on domestic prices and availability.
- Wage-based affordability averaged 154 kg of asado in 2024–2025 after a 116-kg low in December 2023, and the national herd totaled about 51.6 million head as of December 2024.