The British poultry industry: a multi-billion powerhouse

The British poultry industry has emerged as a vital contributor to the United Kingdom’s economy, generating billions in economic value.

David Corredor

The British poultry industry has emerged as a vital contributor to the United Kingdom’s economy, generating billions in economic value and supporting tens of thousands of jobs. In 2023 alone, the poultry meat sector contributed an impressive £8.5 billion to the UK’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with £2.8 billion coming directly from poultry businesses and the remainder driven by supply chain activities and employee spending.

• This sector has consistently outpaced the broader economy.
• Between 2013 and 2023, the poultry industry grew by 31% in real terms, compared to 17% for the overall UK economy and just 12% for agriculture as a whole.
• This makes poultry the fastest-growing livestock sector in the country.

The turnover of the poultry meat industry reached £10.3 billion in 2023. Of this, 34% was generated by poultry farmers, while 66% came from processors, highlighting the importance of value-added processing in the supply chain. Poultry farming alone accounted for 26% of the total gross value added by all UK livestock producers and 9% of the entire agricultural sector’s contribution.

Beyond GDP and turnover, the industry also plays a significant role in public finance. In 2023, it supported a £1.9 billion tax contribution to the UK Exchequer—equivalent to nearly a third of all public spending on agriculture, fisheries, and forestry in the 2022/23 fiscal year.

• Employment is another area where the poultry sector shines.
• It supported 113,500 jobs across the UK in 2023. Of these, 35,700 were directly employed in the industry—27,100 in processing and 8,600 in farming.
• For every 100 jobs within the poultry sector, an additional 220 jobs were created elsewhere in the economy through supply chain and wage-related effects.

As demand for affordable protein continues to rise, the British poultry industry is well-positioned to maintain its role as a cornerstone of national food security and economic resilience. With its strong growth trajectory, substantial fiscal contributions, and wide-reaching employment impact, poultry is not just a staple on the dinner table—it’s a key driver of the UK’s economic future.