The Chicken Wing Index
Wholesale chicken wing composite price per pound (FOB plant)
Then
2019
$1.53/lb
Now
2025
$1.10/lb
Change
2019–2025
-28%
↓ Falling
The Chicken Wing Index: 2015–2025
Wholesale chicken wing composite price per pound (FOB plant)
Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, industry reportskeepingupwithinflation.com
Historical Datakeepingupwithinflation.com
| Year | Price | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $1.52 | — |
| 2016 | $1.48 | -2.6% |
| 2017 | $1.45 | -2.0% |
| 2018 | $1.58 | +9.0% |
| 2019 | $1.53 | -3.2% |
| 2020 | $1.38 | -9.8% |
| 2021 | $2.82 | +104.3% |
| 2022 | $2.48 | -12.1% |
| 2023 | $1.15 | -53.6% |
| 2024 | $1.62 | +40.9% |
| 2025 | $1.10 | -32.1% |
Analysis
Chicken wings are one of the most volatile proteins in the food supply chain. The Chicken Wing Index tells a wild ride: prices sat quietly in the $1.40-$1.60 range for years, then exploded to $2.82/lb in 2021 and peaked near $3.24/lb in early 2022.
The pandemic-era spike was driven by a perfect storm: restaurants reopening with wing-heavy menus, Super Bowl demand, supply chain bottlenecks, and labor shortages at processing plants. Wings became the poster child of food service inflation.
The correction was equally dramatic. Prices crashed below $1.00/lb in late 2023 as production recovered and consumer demand shifted. By 2025, wholesale wings averaged around $1.10/lb — actually cheaper than their pre-pandemic levels.
The wing market is a reminder that not all food inflation is permanent. Unlike eggs (where supply shocks keep recurring), the chicken wing market has functional supply response mechanisms. When prices spike, producers adjust flock sizes and wing yields, eventually bringing prices back down. For restaurants, the wing cycle is a business planning headache — but for consumers, it means wing night deals are back.