Canada’s per capita chicken consumption is projected to reach 39.5 kilograms in 2026 and 39.8 kilograms in 2027, the highest levels on record, according to a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report on Canada. The increase comes as population growth stagnates while demand for chicken remains undiminished.
Population growth, which is primarily driven by immigration, reached an exceptional 3.0% annually in both 2023 and 2024 before reverting to the decades-long average of 1.0% in 2025 following tighter federal immigration policies. The new targets aim to substantially reduce the number of temporary residents, such as international students and temporary workers, while maintaining strict controls over permanent residents. Combined with increased departures of temporary residents, this resulted in a population decline for 2026 compared with 2025, with modest growth anticipated for 2027.
Total chicken meat consumption in Canada has nearly tripled over the last 35 years, in part due to steady population growth, which peaked in 2025 at 41.6 million people, up from nearly 28 million in 1990. The report notes that Canada’s immigrant population increasingly originates from countries with stronger dietary preferences for chicken over beef or pork, and nearly one in four Canadians was born in another country. Read more