Meat Consumption Per Capita by Country (2020)

Data

Note: What You Should Know About Meat Consumption

What This Chart Actually Measures

Meat consumption per capita is a simple idea: it's the total meat a country eats in a year divided by its population, expressed in kilograms per person per year. It's an average, not what every single person eats. That means a country with lots of small eaters and a few very heavy meat eaters can still come out with a high "per person" figure. The number typically counts the meat that's actually consumed (and often prepared and served) — including beef, pork, and poultry — rather than just what's produced or sold. Around the world the global average is roughly 35–40 kilograms a year per person, so the top countries on this list are eating two to four times the global norm.

Who Eats the Most

• Hong Kong leads the world at 137.1 kg per person per year — the highest figure anywhere.
• The United States comes in second at 124.1 kg.
• Australia rounds out the top three with 121.6 kg.
• Argentina (109.4 kg) is famous for its beef culture, and Uruguay (87.3 kg) is right up there too.
• New Zealand (100.9 kg), Spain (100.3 kg), Israel (97.0 kg), and Samoa (96.7 kg) all sit above the 95 kg mark.
• Small island nations and territories — Macao (103.2 kg) and French Polynesia (96.1 kg) — feature prominently, which is a reminder that these per-capita numbers can be driven by tourism and re-exported food.

Per Capita vs. Total Consumption

There's a big difference between how much a country eats per person and how much it eats in total. China is by far the world's most populous country and its largest total consumer of meat, but its per-capita number is nowhere near the top of a list like this. The same is true of the United States — it's a huge total consumer because of its size, but it's also near the top per person. "Per capita" evens the playing field so big countries like China, India, and the US can be compared fairly against small ones like Hong Kong or Saint Lucia. A high rank on this chart tells you about eating habits and average income — not about how much meat a country produces or ships around the world.

The Types of Meat Behind the Numbers

• Beef tends to dominate in the Americas — Argentina, Uruguay, and the United States are all big beef eaters.
• Pork leads in much of Europe and especially China, where it is a staple of the diet.
• Poultry (chicken and turkey) is the cheapest and fastest-growing meat worldwide, increasingly popular in Asia and the Pacific.
• Lamb and sheep meat are important in parts of the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.
• Hong Kong's high number partly reflects its huge appetite for pork and poultry, along with a very food-rich dining culture.

Environmental and Health Context

Meat production carries real costs. Beef in particular produces a lot of greenhouse gases per kilogram — far more than pork or chicken — and requires large amounts of land, water, and feed. Higher meat consumption also tends to track with higher incomes, since meat is often expensive. On the health side, lean meat is an excellent source of protein, iron, and B vitamins, but nutritionists generally suggest limiting heavy consumption of red and processed meat. The big takeaway for health isn't "eat no meat" — it's balance: plenty of vegetables, legumes, and variety, with meat eaten in sensible portions.

Useful Tips

• When comparing countries, always check which meat a figure includes — beef-only data looks very different from a combined beef + pork + poultry number.
• Remember that per-capita figures are averages and hide big differences between regions, incomes, and age groups within a single country.
• If you want to lower your own footprint, swapping some beef for chicken, pork, or plant proteins is one of the simplest changes you can make.
• For a healthy plate, aim for variety — proteins, vegetables, whole grains — rather than loading up on any one food group.

Fun Facts

• Hong Kong (137.1 kg) eats more meat per person than any other place on Earth — over two kilograms a week for the average resident.
• The United States bumped up from 121.0 kg in 2017 to 124.1 kg in 2020 — a steady rise in appetite.
• Australia gained ground too, climbing from 114.3 kg in 2017 to 121.6 kg by 2020.
• Argentina actually cut back slightly, falling from 112.2 kg in 2017 to 109.4 kg in 2020.
• Some of the world's richest, most industrialized nations — Germany, France, Canada, and Austria — sit in the 82–88 kg range, comfortably in the top 25 but well below the leaders.
• At roughly 35–40 kg per year, the global average is less than a third of Hong Kong's mark.