Spain, Austria, and Portugal are among the top meat-consuming nations in Europe, with average consumption often exceeding 90–100 kg per person annually. Other high-consuming countries include Luxembourg and France, where consumption is driven by high demand for pork and, increasingly, poultry.
Despite the growing trend toward vegan diets, meat consumption remains significant in parts of Europe. Leading the way are Spaniards, who consumed an average of 105 kilograms per capita in 2022.
Blacks had the highest annual total meat consumption (64.2 kg), followed by East Asians (53.6 kg), Whites (46.9 kg), and Hispanics (35.8 kg). Blacks ate significantly more chicken than the other ethnic groups (P < 0.001), and East Asians ate significantly more pork and processed meat (P < 0.001).
Portugal is the European champion in poultry consumption, according to the latest market data for the EU. In this country, almost 40 kilograms of poultry were consumed per inhabitant in 2023. A look at other EU countries shows that France is in the top group with almost 29 kilograms per capita.
Eating Bizarre French Food in Paris for 24 Hours!! Exotic Meats of Europe!!
Which meat is no. 1 in the world?
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world (36%) followed by poultry (33%), beef (24%), and goats/sheep (5%).
Meat and milk consumption has declined in Germany, while the production of plant-based proteins has doubled since 2019, spotlighting the flexitarian consumer base. Germany isn't Europe's largest market for plant-based food for no reason.
Based on a comparison of 165 countries in 2020, USA ranked the highest in cattle meat consumption with 12,535 kt followed by China and Brazil. On the other end of the scale was Belize with 1.00 kt, Seychelles with 1.00 kt and Liberia with 2.00 kt.
The top consumer of pork in 2021 continued to be China, taking into account its special economic regions Hong Kong, Macau, and Mainland China, whose consumptions were about 61, 52, and 37 kg/inhabitant respectively.
Religion also plays a role in dietary habits. Nearly all of the Muslim (99%), Christian (99%) and Buddhists/neo-Buddhist (97%) populations eat meat. Among Hindus, a little over three-quarters consume meat, while Jains and Sikhs have the highest share of vegetarians.
India. Throughout the whole country the people do not kill any living creature, nor drink intoxicating liquor, nor eat onions or garlic. The only exception is that of the Chandalas.
Which countries eat the most meat? According to UN Food and Agriculture Organization data reported by website World Population Review, the United States, Argentina and Australia are in the top of the global meat-eating league with more than 110 kg consumed per capita in 2022.
Here are 5 key takeaways: Meat Lovers' Map Nagaland (99.8%), West Bengal (99.3%), and Kerala (99.1%) top the list of meat-eating states. Minimal Meat States Rajasthan (14.1%), Haryana (13.4%) and Punjab (17%) remain largely vegetarian. Who Eats What? North East: Pork dominates (Nagaland, Assam).
So, why eggs? It was based on an intuitive idea. In Chinese culture the egg is very significant, valued for centuries as a food supplement—especially for children, pregnant women, and those who are ill.
But Cool Hand Luke manages to pull it off, finishing all 50 eggs (about 6 pounds or 2.7 kilograms!) just under the one-hour deadline. Although our guy wins, it's not a pleasant scene to watch.
The United States leads global chicken meat consumption with 21.19 million metric tons, followed by China and Brazil at 15.1 and 14.9 million metric tons, respectively.
Australia banned beef imports from the US in 2003 after the fatal neurological disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, was discovered in American cattle.
Mapped: Countries That Eat the Most Meat Per Capita
The Kingdom of Tonga, a remote island nation located west of Australia, is the world's leading meat eater.
Other meat-loving countries include Mongolia (primarily goat and lamb), the U.S. (mostly chicken and beef), and Israel (also heavily chicken and beef).
The vegan paradise I'm talking about – it's Warsaw. If you don't believe me, well, Warsaw has been ranked among the top vegan cities in the world by HappyCow (a vegan ranking website) for the past six years. In 2022, it was National Geographic's number one vegan city in the world.
