diff --git a/gunicorn/config.py b/gunicorn/config.py
index 2a13dfd6..0776da95 100644
--- a/gunicorn/config.py
+++ b/gunicorn/config.py
@@ -507,13 +507,16 @@ class Workers(Setting):
     meta = "INT"
     validator = validate_pos_int
     type = int
-    default = 1
+    default = int(os.environ.get('WEB_CONCURRENCY', 1))
     desc = """\
         The number of worker process for handling requests.
 
         A positive integer generally in the 2-4 x $(NUM_CORES) range. You'll
         want to vary this a bit to find the best for your particular
         application's work load.
+
+        By default, the value of the WEB_CONCURRENCY environment variable. If
+        it is not defined, the default is 1.
         """