Where is per capita poultry meat consumption highest?

Where do people consume the most chicken? The biggest eaters of chicken meat are spread across continents from South America to Australasia and their per capita consumption of poultry meat is due to keep rising.

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(Monkey Business Images | Dreamstime)
(Monkey Business Images | Dreamstime)

Have you ever wondered who are the biggest consumers of poultry meat, or where in the world per capita consumption of poultry meat is highest?

Data published in the OECD FAO Agricultural Outlook reveals just that, offering insight into consumer habits around the globe.

Coming in at the top spot are Israelis, who consume an estimated 58.5 kg of poultry meat each year, more than double that of consumers in the Ukraine, for example, who eat 21 kg of poultry meat and come much further down the ranking.

Consumers in the U.S. come close to Israelis, munching their way through 49.8 kg each, and eating slightly more than Malaysians, who eat 46.7 kg of poultry meat each.

The fourth spot is taken by Australia, with 43.9 kg. Australians would appear to have a greater appetite for poultry meat than neighboring New Zealanders, who are only able to get through 37.4 kg of chicken each year, putting them in 10th place.

So where next for these big poultry eaters? Will their consumption habits plateau and stay the same, or will they change?

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Looking across all meats, the outlook suggests that growth in demand will slow over its review period to 2027, but notes that growth will still continue across all regions, albeit at varying degrees.

By region, it is North America that consumes the most meat per capita and it will retain the top spot, followed by the European Union and, in third place, Latin America and the Caribbean. Across the three regions, growth in total meat consumption is expected to be highest in the latter, especially where poultry meat is concerned.

Poultry meat consumption will increase regardless of region or income level. Per capita consumption will grow even in the developed world, but growth rates will, unsurprisingly, be highest in the developing world and, of all the additional meat consumed over the next decade, poultry is expected to account for 44 percent.

Top 10 poultry meat consumers (kg/per capita)

  1. Israel:                                          58.5
  2. United States:                             49.8
  3. Malaysia:                                    46.7
  4. Australia:                                    43.9
  5. Brazil:                                         40.6
  6. Argentina:                                  40.4
  7. Saudi Arabia:                             40.0
  8. New Zealand:                            37.4
  9. Chile:                                         36.1
  10. South Africa:                             36.1

Source: OECD FAO Agricultural Outlook 2018-2027, 2018 estimates.

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