Countries that Eat the Most Meat

Of all the countries in the world, which countries that eat the most meat? The answer might surprise you. Although Western countries still eat the most meat per person, The Economist notes that it's middle-income countries like China that drive worldwide demand for it. If you want to know more, there is a detailed article on Insidermonkey on the topic which can give you all the information there is to know.

The world has a rapidly increasing appetite for meat. Fifty years ago, global consumption was 70m tonnes. By 2007—the latest year for which comparable data are available—it had risen to 268m tonnes. In a similar vein, the amount of meat eaten by each person has leapt from around 22kg in 1961 to 40kg in 2007. Tastes have changed at the same time. Cow (beef and veal) was top of the menu in the early 1960s, accounting for 40% of meat consumption, but by 2007 its share had fallen to 23%. The pig is now the animal of choice, with around 99m tonnes consumed. Meanwhile, advances in battery farming and health-related changes in Western diets have helped propel poultry from 12% to 31% of the global total.

An increase in the consumption of meat is directly correlated to an increase in a country's economic development. As a country becomes richer, its citizens generally eat more meat, a much denser source of protein than is available in poorer countries. But the range of the amount of meat eaten in different countries around the world is truly astounding, from barely enough for a few hamburgers to the weight of several people. But there are still some countries that are not that much fond of meat and rather consider a healthy lifestyle. To know about them there is a list of the world’s15 healthiest countries for you as well.