How many burgers would a world of abundance eat?
Yes, I think deep thoughts at McDonald’s. My regular order is the $2.99 double cheeseburger off the value menu and a small caramel frappe, also $2.99. Even this modest lunch is a whopping 860 calories.
Knowing that McDonald’s is the largest burger company, by far, can give you manic thoughts about feeding the world. It has more than 40,000 outlets. This includes one in Antarctica. But despite all that, McDonald’s isn’t nearly huge enough.
Here’s the math.
This is quick napkin math, to be sure, since McDonald’s no longer publishes regular burger counts. But it has been estimated that the company sells 2.36 billion burgers a year. The historic total sold has been estimated at more than a trillion. Talk figures like that regularly, and you’ll eventually grow a dark blue suit and find yourself transported to Washington, D.C.
Our Burgers-For-All problem isn’t nearly solved. Here’s why. There are 8.3 billion*** people in the world for a piddling 2.36 billion burgers a year. So as a world provider, Ronnie McDonald would be making the average human wait over 3 years for a burger.
Yes, I know, McDonald’s isn’t alone.
In addition to well-known competitors such as Burger King and Wendy’s, we’ve got Whataburger, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and In-N-Out Burger putting muscle on the grill. Not to mention lots of others.
But still, however many burgers they add, I’d bet global humanity, on average would still be a year between burgers. In hamburger love, that’s way short of abundance.
A similar exercise with Starbucks production is slightly more encouraging. By their broad figures, they might be able to serve humanity nearly one drink a year. That’s a long time between caffeine boosts.
Why am I telling you this?
The American notion of abundance cannot be replicated worldwide. It’s that simple.
Here’s an extreme example. In the United States we consume 121.4 kilograms of beef, pork and chicken a year per person. India consumes 5.91 kilograms per year, one twentieth of what we consume. India has four times as many people. To reach our level of consumption, India would have to find a way to increase its production (or imports) 80-fold.
You can explore these figures for yourself at worldpopulationreview.com, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/meat-consumption-by-country .
To be sure, there are lots of cultural reasons India won’t care to try. Nor will Indonesia or Pakistan. Even so, those countries and dozens of other countries waiting for their rides on the affluence and abundance escalator will find it hard slogging.
Whatever consumption product we consider, there is no way that future global abundance can possibly look like the American-defined abundance.
Who defines abundance and affluence?
Only one thing is certain. It won’t be old Americans. It will be a problem –and an opportunity — for young Americans and Americans yet to be born. If America has any say at all.
Note to readers: In the original version of this column I somehow made a ludicrous error. I wrote that there were 8.3 trillion people. An observant reader let me know. (Thank you! Thank you!) and you are reading the corrected text.
Related columns:
Scott Burns, “Meditation at McDonald’s, 5,” 10/20/2024: https://scottburns.com/meditation-at-mcdonalds-5/
Scott Burns, “Meditation at Chick-Fil-A,” 3/26/2023: https://scottburns.com/meditation-at-chick-fil-a/
Scott Burns, “Still Meditating At McDonald’s,” 7/20/2019: https://scottburns.com/still-meditating-at-mcdonalds/
Scott Burns, “Meditation At McDonald’s, 4,” 8/26/2018: https://scottburns.com/meditation-at-mcdonalds-4/
Scott Burns, “Meditation On McDonald’s, Once More: 11/01/2013: https://scottburns.com/meditation-on-mcdonalds-once-more/
Scott Burns, “Meditation On McDonald’s, Part 2: 4/17/2011: https://scottburns.com/meditation-on-mcdonalds-part-2/
Scott Burns, “A Meditation On McDonald’s,” 2/22/2009: https://scottburns.com/a-meditation-on-mcdonalds/
Sources and References:
United States Census Bureau, U.S. and World Population Clock: https://www.census.gov/popclock/world
“How Many Burgers Does McDonald’s Actually Sell Each Day?,” 1/31/2025:
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/many-burgers-does-mcdonalds-actually-111512658.html
“11 Fascinating Starbucks Statistics & Facts to Know in 2026,” 5/29/2026: https://cornercoffeestore.com/starbucks-statistics/
“How Many Customers Does Starbucks Get a Day,” https://www.facebook.com/fb-answers/how-many-customers-does-starbucks-get-a-day/
Superyacht Times, directory: https://www.superyachttimes.com/directories/yachts
“How Many Yachts in the World,” https://yachtrentaluae.ae/blog/how-many-yachts-in-the-world/
Wikipedia, “List of countries by household final consumption expenditure per capita,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_household_final_consumption_expenditure_per_capita
Gale L. Pooley, “McDonald’s Abundance Serves the World,” 9/30/2025: https://humanprogress.org/mcdonalds-abundance-serves-the-world/
This information is distributed for education purposes, and it is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement of any particular security, product, or service.
Photo: Scott Burns, 6/14/2024, At ease in downtown Burgos, while walking the Camino de Santiago
(c) Scott Burns, 2026
Point is accurate, figures aren’t. 8.3 BILLION people, not trillions. Looking for a blue suit?
Hi Lynn! Thank you! I live in terror of making stupid mistakes and that was a huge one. I’ve corrected the column and reposted it.
Maybe the cause was reading out our Treasury Secretary jousting with meager billions against our trillions of Treasury debt…
Scott
Scott,
if i recall correctly, you are 85. If you are really a regular at McD’s ultra-processed diet as you claim, the more pertinent and bigger question is how did you manage to live this long and this healthy? Second, something is messed up if you equate abundance with meat, overeating and obesity–the American way of mis-thinking I guess.
Hi JP,
Broadly speaking, we Americans appear to associate abundance with meat, large portions, and constant availability of food. As a group we’ve been very slow to make the connection between constant eating and obesity. Over the last 60 years food consciousness has been steadily rising, witness the slow change in supermarket offerings over the period. Collectively, we still have a long way to go, me included.
You are correct about my age, 85, with 86 coming up in November. And I walked the 480 mile French route of the Camino de Santiago just 2 years ago at age 83. The next oldest person that I met on the walk was 78. He was quite crestfallen when I told him my age — I think he thought he was the oldest. So whatever my many, many past food sins it appears that my Scotch-Irish genes have been protecting me. Another source of protection is physical activity. I’m no athlete (live in my head too much) but I’ve been pretty active at biking, running, tennis, sailing, and windsurfing since I was a teenager. All this is a good reminder that our health and longevity isn’t just a matter of diet.
Scott
Scott,
Was there a consumer purchasing index decades ago based on the McDonald’s hamburger?
How to compare a local currency/inflation based on the number of hamburgers you could purchase for 1 hour or work?
Bill