How Many McDonald's Are There In The World In 2024?

When it comes to fast-food chains, name a more dominant force than McDonald's. Though White Castle is the oldest burger fast food chain, McDonald's is arguably the most successful one with an empire that spans the globe. But exactly how many McDonald's are there in the world? Has the chain reached its "the sun never sets in the British Empire" era or what? 

According to Statista, McDonald's had over 41,000 restaurant locations across the globe in 2023. There were 41,822 locations, to be exact. McDonald's has steadily been growing its foothold internationally by combining its menu with local offerings. The restaurant appeals to regional tastes by tweaking its staples like its fries and offering meals you couldn't find anywhere else. The restaurant chain has steadily been increasing the number of locations over the past few years. The chain leads the pack when it comes to the world's largest fast-food brands, followed by Subway and Starbucks. McDonald's is planning to broaden its number of locations in 2024.

By the end of 2024, McDonald's will increase its total number of locations by 2,100, with 500 of those locations opening in the U.S. The restaurant chain also plans to open more restaurants in France, Australia, and Canada. Currently, McDonald's is active in more 118 countries, with the U.S. being home to the most.

The fact that the United States has the most McDonald's locations should come as little surprise. America is the restaurant's birthplace, after all, with the fast-food giant finding its humble beginnings in California. The restaurant built a name for itself with cheap food and colorful mascots like Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar. There are more than 14,000 McDonald's restaurants in the U.S., with that number set to grow larger, as mentioned above. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to drive far without finding a McDonald's these days. You're almost always near a Mickey D's. The farthest you can go away from a McDonald's is in Nevada, on a strip of land called The McFarthest Point. Even then, the nearest McDonald's is still 107 miles away as the crow flies or 145 miles away by road. 

As far as the city with the most McDonald's locations, you should turn your attention to Texas. Houston holds the distinction of not only being the largest city in the state but also having the most McDonald's in the U.S. It has 126 locations in the city. Overall, Texas has 1,163 locations altogether. Besides the U.S., Japan has the second most McDonald's with around 3,000 restaurants followed by China, which has 2,400 McDonald's. Meanwhile, in Europe, Germany leads the charge with 1,500 restaurants. With so many restaurants worldwide, you would think every country has a McDonald's, but that's not the case.

Worldwide, there are 123 countries that don't have a McDonald's including, a number of small island nations. While the island chain of The Seychelles has around 100,000 people, it doesn't have any McDonald's locations. Other countries that lack a McDonald's include North Korea, Russia, Iran, Bermuda, and Iceland among others. The reasons for the lack of McDonald's in these countries vary.

In countries such as Somalia or Sierra Leone, the countries have faced political upheaval as well as economic instability. This has made it difficult for McDonald's to take root due to the uncertainty of the economy as well as lack of demand. Meanwhile, Bhutan has placed an emphasis on local food and restaurants versus international chains, choking off any potential for McDonald's to perform there. Likewise, a country may lack a supply chain that would make it feasible for a McDonald's. Other times, McDonald's has left countries. For instance, McDonald's shut down its handful of locations in Iceland following the 2008 financial crisis in the country. Likewise, McDonald's pulled out of Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Local stores were replaced with "Vkusno & Tochka," which translates to "Tasty and that's it." Several other countries like Bermuda, Iran, and North Korea have outlawed McDonald's altogether, making it impossible to open there. They're missing out on McDonald's coffee among other things.