- Fast Food Company Statistics
Research Summary. McDonald’s is no longer just an American thing – it’s loved around the world and is actually performing better in international markets than it is in many ways in the U.S. Here are some statistics about McDonald’s:
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There are about 40,275 McDonald’s locations worldwide as of 2022.
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Globally, McDonald’s serves over 69 million people daily.
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McDonald’s operates in 118 countries and territories.
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McDonald’s earned $23.18 billion in global revenue in 2022.
For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
Locations | Employment | Products | Trends
McDonald’s Company Statistics
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McDonald’s global net income was $7.54 billion in 2021.
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McDonald’s has about 200,000 office staff members around the world.
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More than 2 million people work at McDonald’s franchises worldwide.
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About 93% of McDonald’s restaurants are independent franchises.
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The U.S. contributed $9.42 billion toward McDonald’s annual revenue, the highest of any individual country.
McDonald’s Statistics by Locations
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As of 2021, there are 13,438 McDonald’s locations in the U.S.
The number of U.S. McDonald’s restaurants has been declining since 2014 when there were 14,339 locations across the country. Since then, the restaurant chain has closed an average of over 100 locations per year, with the greatest number of closures – 235 – taking place between 2020 and 2021.
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There are 14,890 McDonald’s locations in the U.S. and Canada as of 2021.
The majority of these restaurants are in the U.S., while Canada has 1,452 McDonald’s restaurants.
Number of McDonald’s Locations in the U.S. and Canada Each Year
Year United States Canada 2021 13,438 1,452 2020 13,673 1,462 2019 13,837 1,478 2018 13,905 1,472 2017 14,027 1,458 2016 14,146 1,450 2015 14,248 1,443 2014 14,339 1,440 2013 14,267 1,427 2012 14,157 1,417 -
California has 1,188 McDonald’s locations – the most of any state.
This accounts for about 9% of McDonald’s total number of U.S. locations. Texas has a similar share of McDonald’s locations and 1,131 restaurants, and Florida has 859 locations, making up about 6% of the total number of U.S. McDonald’s restaurants.
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Houston has 129 McDonald’s locations, the most of any city in the U.S.
Chicago comes close behind with 109 McDonald’s restaurants. Here is the breakdown of the top five cities for the number of McDonald’s locations and how many each one has:
City Number of McDonald’s Locations Houston 129 Chicago 109 San Antonio 74 Las Vegas 74 Los Angeles 71
McDonald’s Statistics by Employment
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It’s estimated that 1 in 8 Americans in the workforce have worked at McDonald’s at some point.
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75% of McDonald’s employees are based outside of the U.S.
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McDonald’s has an annual turnover rate of over 130%.
McDonald’s Statistics by Products
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French fries are McDonald’s top product; the restaurant sells about 9 million pounds of fries every day and about 3.29 billion pounds every year.
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It’s estimated that McDonald’s sells 75 burgers every second.
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In 2019, the LA Times ranked McDonald’s french fries as the second-best fries – behind Five Guys and just ahead of Del Taco, Steak ‘n Shake, and Arby’s.
McDonald’s Trends and Projections
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In 2012, there were 34,480 McDonald’s locations worldwide, and in 2022, there were 40,275.
McDonald’s has seen consistent growth in the number of its restaurants around the world since 2005, even as its U.S. restaurant numbers decrease.
Here is the number of global McDonald’s locations from 2012 to 2022:
Number of McDonald’s Locations By Year
Year Number of McDonald’s Locations 2022 40,275 2021 40,031 2020 39,198 2019 38,695 2018 37,855 2017 37,241 2016 36,899 2015 36,525 2014 36,258 2013 35,429 2012 34,480 -
The number of McDonald’s employees has shrunk from approximately 440,000 in 2012 to about 150,000 in 2022.
Note that these numbers don’t include employees hired by McDonald’s franchise owners.
Here is the year-by-year breakdown of the total number of McDonald’s employees and the company’s annual employment growth rates:
Number of McDonald’s Employees Per Year
Year Number of Employees Annual Employment Growth Rate 2022 150,000 -25% 2021 200,000 -0% 2020 200,000 -2.44% 2019 205,000 -2.38% 2018 210,000 -10.64% 2017 235,000 -37.33% 2016 375,000 -10.71% 2015 420,000 0.00% 2014 420,000 -4.55% 2013 440,000 0.00% 2012 440,000 4.76% -
McDonald’s earned $27.57 billion in revenue in 2012 and $23.18 billion in 2022.
The company has seen significant ups and downs in its annual revenue over the past ten years, and while there wasn’t much change from 2021 to 2022, its 2021 earnings mark the most significant growth the company has seen during this time period.
Here is the breakdown of the annual global revenue McDonald’s has earned each year since 2012:
McDonald’s Annual Revenue From 2012 to 2022
Year Annual Revenue 2022 $23.18 billion 2021 $23.22 billion 2020 $19.21 billion 2019 $21.36 billion 2018 $21.26 billion 2017 $22.82 billion 2016 $24.62 billion 2015 $25.41 billion 2014 $27.44 billion 2013 $28.11 billion 2012 $27.57 billion
McDonald’s Statistics FAQ
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How many customers does McDonald’s have per day?
McDonald’s has 69 million customers per day. In other words, every day, 69 million people around the world buy food from McDonald’s. While many people think of McDonald’s as an American fixture, the restaurant actually has locations in 118 different countries and territories.
As far as what these 69 million customers are eating, McDonald’s sells 75 burgers every second, and french fries have topped the list as the all-time bestselling McDonald’s menu item. McDonald’s sells 9 million pounds of its fries every day.
McDonald’s fries are also regularly listed at the top of consumers’ “best french fry” rankings, and they won the number two spot on the LA Times’s list in 2019. (Five Guys ranked number one on that list.)
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Is McDonald’s losing popularity?
Yes, McDonald’s is losing popularity. The restaurant chain has seen a steady decrease in both its number of employees and its annual revenue over the past few years, and it has been closing locations faster than it’s been opening them in the U.S.
However, the number of McDonald’s locations is still going up steadily in other parts of the world and reached 40,031 in 2021. In addition, from 2020 to 2021, McDonald’s annual revenue saw its biggest jump in a while when it increased from $19.21 billion to $23.22 billion.
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How many McDonald’s locations are there?
There are about 40,275 McDonald’s locations. These McDonald’s restaurants are located in 118 countries and territories around the world, and they serve more than 69 million people every day.
The number of McDonald’s locations has gone up steadily from 34,480 in 2012 to 40,031 in 2021. From 2020 to 2021 alone, McDonald’s opened 833 new locations globally.
In the U.S., however, McDonald’s has been closing more locations than it’s been opening. In 2014, there were 14,339 U.S. McDonald’s restaurants, and in 2020, there were 13,673, which is the result of the company closing an average of 111 locations every year during this time span.
Of the locations in the U.S., California and Texas each account for 8% of the total number of McDonald’s restaurants, with 1,189 and 1,117 locations, respectively. Florida takes third place with 852 and 6% of the U.S.’s total locations.
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What is McDonald’s annual revenue?
McDonald’s annual revenue is $23.18 billion. This is the global annual revenue the company earned in 2022, and it is a slight decrease from its 2021 revenue of $23.22.
2021 marks the most significant year-over-year revenue increase McDonald’s has seen in more than ten years: In 2020, McDonald’s earned $19.21 billion in revenue, which is about $4 billion less than its 2021 total.
McDonald’s saw its revenue hover around $27-$28 billion from 2012 to 2014, then drop steadily (except for one $100 million increase from 2018 to 2019) until 2021.
The U.S. contributed the most revenue to McDonald’s total earnings of any single country, generating $9.42 billion in 2022. However, the majority of its revenue came from its international operations.
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How many employees does McDonald’s have?
McDonald’s has about 200,000 employees. This is the number of people who work directly for McDonald’s, whether for their corporate operations or at restaurants owned by McDonald’s, and it doesn’t count the two million people who are employed by independent McDonald’s franchises.
The number of employees who work for McDonald’s directly has decreased by more than half since 2012, when 440,000 people were employed by the company. The greatest decrease in employees occurred in 2016 when the number dropped from 420,000 in 2015 to 375,000 in 2016.
In the U.S., it’s estimated that one in eight Americans in the workforce have worked at McDonald’s at some point in their lives, from college students to celebrities. However, despite the restaurant’s pervasive presence in the U.S., 75% of McDonald’s employees are based internationally rather than in the U.S.
Conclusion
McDonald’s may be viewed as synonymous with American culture, and while the U.S. was the biggest single-country contributor to the company’s annual revenue in 2021, it’s seeing a steady decline in its number of U.S. McDonald’s restaurants.
From 2014 to 2020, the number of U.S. McDonald’s locations has decreased from 14,339 to 13,673, with the biggest decrease occurring between 2019 and 2020. Internationally, however, the numbers have been going up. In 2012, there were 34,480 McDonald’s locations around the globe, and as of 2021, there are 40,031.
References
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McDonald’s. “Your Right To Know.” Accessed on April 19, 2022.
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Statista. “Revenue of the McDonald’s Corporation Worldwide From 2005 to 2022.” Accessed on March 21, 2023.
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Statista. “Net Income of McDonald’s Corporation Worldwide From 2005 to 2021.” Accessed on April 19, 2022.
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Statista. “Number of McDonald’s Employees Worldwide From 2012 to 2021.” Accessed on April 19, 2022.
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McDonald’s/United States Securities and Exchange Commission. “McDonald’s Corporation Annual Report.” Accessed on April 19, 2022.
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Statista. “Number of McDonald’s Restaurants in North America From 2012 to 2021, by Country.” Accessed on March 21, 2023.
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ScrapeHero. “Number of McDonald’s Locations in the United States in 2023.” Accessed on March 21, 2023.
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CBS News. “11 Things About McDonald’s That May Surprise You.” Accessed on April 19, 2022.
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Recruitment Tech. “How McDonald’s Managed to Reduce Its Turnover by 22% Thanks to A.I.” Accessed on April 19, 2022.
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HowStuffWorks. “10 Most Popular McDonald’s Menu Items of All Time.” Accessed on April 19, 2022.
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Spoon University. “PSA: McDonald’s Is Launching a New Rewards Program.” Accessed on April 19, 2022.
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Eat This, Not That! “30 Crazy McDonald’s Facts That Will Blow Your Mind.” Accessed on April 19, 2022.
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Today. “A Controversial New Ranking of America’s Best French Fries is Causing Mass Hysteria.” Accessed on April 19, 2022.
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Statista. “Number of McDonald’s Restaurants Worldwide From 2005 to 2022.” Accessed on March 21, 2023.
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Macrotrends. “McDonald’s: Number of Employees 2010-2022 | MCD.” Accessed on March 21, 2023.
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Macrotrends. “McDonald’s Revenue 2010-2022 | MCD.” Accessed on March 21, 2023.
- Fast Food Company Statistics
Author
Abby is a writer who is passionate about the power of story. Whether it’s communicating complicated topics in a clear way or helping readers connect with another person or place from the comfort of their couch. Abby attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she earned a degree in writing with concentrations in journalism and business.
