How much meat does the average person eat — and how wildly does it vary from one country to the next? Worldwide, the average person now consumes about 45 kg of meat per year, according to UN Food and Agriculture Organization food-balance data for 2023. But that global figure hides an enormous gap: people in the heaviest meat-eating nations get through more than 120 kg a year, while at the other extreme the average is under 10 kg.
The map below shows meat supply per person for every country, measured in kilograms available for consumption per year.
The world’s biggest meat eaters
Among major economies, the United States leads at about 122 kg per person, followed closely by Australia (117 kg) and Argentina (115 kg) — the classic high-protein, livestock-rich economies. Israel, Brazil, Denmark and Spain all sit around or above 100 kg. The chart below compares a selection of countries against the world average.
At the very top of the global per-capita rankings sit some smaller nations with distinctive diets — Mongolia, with its pastoral, herding culture, and several Pacific island states such as Tonga and Samoa, where imported fatty cuts feature heavily. By contrast, the lowest figures are found across South Asia and much of sub-Saharan Africa: India averages roughly 8 kg, and Ethiopia and Nigeria around 7 kg, shaped by income, culture and religious dietary practice.
Meat consumption in Europe
Europe is one of the most meat-heavy regions on Earth. Spain (101 kg), Denmark (101 kg), Portugal (99 kg) and Croatia (100 kg) are among the continent’s biggest consumers, while the lowest European figures are found in parts of the Balkans. The map below breaks it down country by country.
Pork remains the workhorse meat across much of Europe — relatively cheap and widely available — though poultry has been gaining ground. In countries with significant Muslim populations, such as parts of the Balkans and Türkiye, pork is largely absent from the diet, with beef, lamb and poultry taking its place.
What’s changing: poultry up, beef down
The headline trend of the last two decades is a quiet revolution in which meat we eat. Poultry consumption has surged worldwide — it is cheaper, faster to produce, and carries a far lighter environmental footprint than beef. In many wealthy countries, per-capita beef consumption has plateaued or fallen, even as total meat intake holds steady, because chicken is filling the gap.
Pork consumption has risen across much of Asia, led by China, which alone accounts for a huge share of the world’s total. Sheep and goat meat remain niche globally but central to diets in parts of the Middle East, Central Asia and the Mediterranean.
Meat consumption by country: full rankings
| Country | kg per person (2023) |
|---|---|
| United States | 122.1 |
| Australia | 116.8 |
| Argentina | 114.9 |
| Israel | 108.7 |
| Brazil | 104.6 |
| Denmark | 101.3 |
| Spain | 100.8 |
| Portugal | 99.3 |
| Chile | 98.5 |
| Canada | 94.8 |
| Russia | 84.8 |
| United Kingdom | 84.4 |
| South Korea | 84.0 |
| France | 80.3 |
| New Zealand | 79.5 |
| Mexico | 78.2 |
| China | 73.5 |
| Italy | 71.2 |
| Germany | 70.7 |
| Malaysia | 69.1 |
| Kazakhstan | 64.9 |
| Vietnam | 60.5 |
| Japan | 59.9 |
| South Africa | 58.3 |
| Ukraine | 49.5 |
| Turkey | 49.4 |
| World | 45.1 |
| Philippines | 33.6 |
| Iran | 29.9 |
| Egypt | 27.6 |
| Thailand | 24.5 |
| Pakistan | 21.2 |
| Indonesia | 19.9 |
| India | 8.1 |
| Nigeria | 7.1 |
| Ethiopia | 6.9 |
Why meat consumption matters
Meat is a dense source of protein and micronutrients, and demand has historically tracked rising incomes — as countries get richer, they tend to eat more meat. But the environmental cost is significant: livestock, and beef in particular, are among the most land- and emissions-intensive foods we produce. That tension is driving government dietary advice in several countries toward eating less red meat, and is fuelling growth in poultry and plant-based alternatives.
Global meat production has more than tripled over the past 50 years, passing 350 million tonnes a year. With the world’s population still growing and incomes rising across Asia and Africa, total demand is expected to keep climbing — even as per-person consumption levels off in the wealthiest nations.
