Key facts
- US per-capita wheat flour consumption has declined to its lowest level in approximately 40 years.
- The estimated 2025 per-capita consumption was 126.6 pounds per person.
- US flour mills produced 419 million cwt in 2025, the lowest since 2011.
- First-quarter 2026 production was down 3% year-on-year.
- Milling capacity remained stable in early 2026.
US per-capita wheat flour consumption has fallen to its lowest level in approximately 40 years, reaching an estimated 126.6 pounds per person in 2025, down from a peak of 146.8 pounds in 1997. This decline in demand is now reflected in milling statistics, with US flour mills producing 419 million hundredweight (cwt) in 2025, the lowest annual volume since 2011. The trend continued into the first quarter of 2026, with production down 3% year-on-year to 103 million cwt. Despite lower output, US milling capacity has remained stable, with daily 24-hour capacity at approximately 1.59 million cwt per day in early 2026. Industry leaders are concerned about the sustainability of current demand levels, questioning whether recent changes represent a temporary transition or a lasting transformation.