Here's How Many Hamburgers Mcdonald's Sells In One Second

When you and your kids are sitting under the golden arches at the local McDonald's Playland, just know this: You're one of the reasons that America's favorite fast food chain can brag that it has sold more than a billion hamburgers. Yes, that's a billion with a "B." And it's very likely that the famous worldwide burger joint has sold many more burgers than that, given that a) McDonald's sold about 75 burgers a second globally in 2021 (per Investing.com) and b) there are 86,400 seconds in a day. To figure out how that per-second number was reached, you have to do a bit of math. Investing.com reported that Mickey D's sells 6.48 million burgers per day. To get the per-second count, you have to divide 6.48 million by 86,400 seconds to get 75 burgers a second.

This breaks down to nearly 2.4 billion burgers a year, and that's only in one year — one modern 21st-century year at that. The stat is also over two years old at the time of writing, so getting more exact numbers proves a bit elusive. While the burger giant used to boast about its burger sales on its billboards, it's a bit mum about the topic these days. Additionally, given the number of factors that influence McDonald's daily sales, the actual number is likely to fluctuate regardless of the year, making it more challenging to calculate the actual per-second sales numbers.

The burger giant plans to have 50,000 stores in operation around the world by 2027, according to CNN. The CNN report came out in 2023, when the burger giant's restaurant count was over 41,000. It's slated to open another 2,100 stores in 2024. The chain was born in 1940, and from the first day it opened its doors until it finally reached 10,000 stores in the 1970s, 30 years had passed. However, the speed of the company's growth in the past will seem like a snail's pace compared to the 9,000 stores it intends to open over the next several years.

The size of each of the stores makes a difference, too. How Stuff Works reports that the largest McDonald's in the world measures 19,000 square feet. It's also open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is located near Walt Disney World. That store boasts more than just fast food burgers — it carries more menu items than other stores do. Thanks to being open 24/7 (and possibly to the attraction factor of its expanded menu), we can safely assume it will sell more burgers than the average McDonald's. Regular locations are, at minimum, 4,500 square feet (per McDonald's). The average McDonald's makes an average of $2.7 million in sales annually per Reader's Digest. In other words, rapid expansion levels and individual franchise sizes and offerings will influence the per-second burger sales count in the future.

No one knows how large or small the 9,000-plus new McDonald's restaurants around the world with be. However, it isn't just the number of brick-and-mortar stores McDonald's hopes to open that will make a difference in how many burgers the chain sells. There are also plans to encourage growth in its loyalty program numbers, too, with hopes of taking the count from 150 million to 250 million, according to CNN. 

In the first part of 2024, the company's loyalty program accounted for $6 billion of McDonald's worldwide sales, according to CNBC. Digital app and online sales make such a difference in the company's sales that new franchise owners must sign an agreement to pay into the company's digital marketing budget, which will equal about 4% of the franchisee's gross sales. That number will vary in the coming years as McDonald's corporate offices get more sales feedback from each campaign. At the time of this report, digital sales account for 25% of the sales in the American market but up to 80% in the Chinese market, according to a report from Restaurant Dive. 

Additionally, a state-by-state rundown by NBC Chicago found that the Big Mac routinely ranks as the chain's No. 1 menu item in its physical locations. It's unlikely that online sales deviate much from that. In other words, except for in countries where McDonald's is banned, it's probable that digital sales will continue to make a big impact on Mickey D's burger sales worldwide.

When tallying up the burgers McDonald's sells, we can't forget the numerous sales and promotions that McDonald's runs each year. In 2023, McDonald's ran a 50-cent double cheeseburger sale to celebrate National Cheeseburger Day. Granted, the sale only ran for one day, September 18. However, there are other sales, like $2 Big Macs for Big Mac Day, and promotions related to movie and TV franchises, all of which could temporarily bump up daily sales numbers.

Additionally, new customers who signed up to download the app during the month of the 50-cent burger sale and who spent at least a buck got one free Big Mac. This stat invites two questions. How many customers took advantage of the one-day sale? Were those Big Macs counted among the number of burgers sold, given that they were technically free? And the Big Mac's only one of the burgers. McDonald's also sells single and double hamburgers and cheeseburgers that need to be counted, too.

All of this is to say that the 75-burgers-per-second figure is, at best, an estimate. Many factors influence how many burgers McDonald's sells in a day, a week, or a year, including special sales and promos, the size of the store, the number of stores the chain opens in a year, and other factors like house calls care of the various delivery apps. One thing is for certain, however. It doesn't look like people will get tired of chowing down on those burgers anytime soon.