America Eats The Most Of This Potato Chip Brand, According To Report (It's Not Pringles)

It's no understatement to say that America loves potato chips. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Americans annually eat an average of 6.6 pounds of chips per person — nearly 2 billion pounds collectively. Like other ultra-popular foods, the chip market is varied but dominated by major national players, including the most consumed, Lay's.

Statista used U.S. Census data to conclude that Lay's classic potato chips are the most eaten brand, with 163.93 million consumers per year as of 2020. While newer data is not available, a different Statista report shows Lay's as the nation's best-selling chip brand as of 2025, so it likely still reigns supreme.

Lay's Classic isn't just the most-eaten brand, it dominates the competition. Another Frito-Lay brand, Wavy Lays, came in second at 60.94 million annual consumers — over 100 million fewer than the original chip. Closer together is the remainder of the top five: Ruffles in third with 55.84 million, Pringles in fourth with 53.76 million, and Kettle (the brand, not the category) in fifth with 48.1 million consumers.

While the original chip clearly has a potent grip on Americans' appetites, Lay's is also appreciated for the range of flavors it has introduced, including many unusual options. We may not have as much variety as Asian markets, with flavors like Spicy Crayfish and Hot & Sour Lemon Braised Chicken Feet, but there has still been a lot of innovation among the discontinued Lay's flavors we wish would come back. These range from Pico de Gallo to Cheesy Garlic Bread and even Southern Biscuits & Gravy.

Lay's also has a reliable line of baked potato chips with lower fat than the original variety. It's not as popular as the yellow and red bag we're all familiar with, but BBQ Baked Lay's came in a surprisingly solid third in our ranking of BBQ potato chip brands, showing Lay's versatility.

Unfortunately, parent company PepsiCo's plans to shutter several production facilities means that certain Frito-Lay products are among the groceries you may struggle to find in 2026. This could even include some chip flavors, or entire brands. But their enduring popularity probably means that Lay's Classic aren't going anywhere.