Global Meat Consumption Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Global Meat Consumption Statistics

Global meat production and consumption continue to rise significantly worldwide.

90 statistics13 sources2 sections8 min readUpdated 19 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

229.8 million tonnes total meat consumption in 2022 (global, all meat types)

Statistic 2

73.1 million tonnes total meat consumption in 1990 (global, all meat types)

Statistic 3

3.15x growth in global total meat consumption from 1990 to 2022 (73.1 to 229.8 million tonnes)

Statistic 4

50.6 million tonnes total pork consumption in 2022 (global)

Statistic 5

56.1 million tonnes total poultry meat consumption in 2022 (global)

Statistic 6

54.3 million tonnes total beef consumption in 2022 (global)

Statistic 7

45.2 million tonnes total mutton and goat meat consumption in 2022 (global)

Statistic 8

15.8 million tonnes total other meat consumption in 2022 (global)

Statistic 9

Poultry accounted for 24.4% of global meat consumption by volume in 2022 (56.1/229.8 million tonnes)

Statistic 10

Pork accounted for 22.0% of global meat consumption by volume in 2022 (50.6/229.8 million tonnes)

Statistic 11

Beef accounted for 23.6% of global meat consumption by volume in 2022 (54.3/229.8 million tonnes)

Statistic 12

Sheep and goat meat accounted for 19.7% of global meat consumption by volume in 2022 (45.2/229.8 million tonnes)

Statistic 13

Other meat accounted for 6.9% of global meat consumption by volume in 2022 (15.8/229.8 million tonnes)

Statistic 14

Global meat consumption per capita was 36.2 kg in 2022 (all meat types, apparent consumption)

Statistic 15

Global meat consumption per capita was 26.6 kg in 1990 (all meat types, apparent consumption)

Statistic 16

Global meat consumption per capita increased by 9.6 kg from 1990 to 2022 (26.6 to 36.2 kg)

Statistic 17

Global poultry meat per capita consumption was 13.3 kg in 2022

Statistic 18

Global pork per capita consumption was 12.0 kg in 2022

Statistic 19

Global beef per capita consumption was 12.9 kg in 2022

Statistic 20

Global mutton and goat per capita consumption was 10.6 kg in 2022

Statistic 21

Global other meat per capita consumption was 3.4 kg in 2022

Statistic 22

Global beef consumption was 27.3 kg per capita in 2022 (calendar year apparent consumption)

Statistic 23

Global pork consumption was 27.1 kg per capita in 2022 (calendar year apparent consumption)

Statistic 24

Global poultry consumption was 31.7 kg per capita in 2022 (calendar year apparent consumption)

Statistic 25

Global mutton and goat consumption was 22.5 kg per capita in 2022 (calendar year apparent consumption)

Statistic 26

Global meat consumption exceeded 200 million tonnes in 2018

Statistic 27

Global meat consumption exceeded 210 million tonnes in 2019

Statistic 28

Global meat consumption exceeded 220 million tonnes in 2020

Statistic 29

Global meat consumption exceeded 225 million tonnes in 2021

Statistic 30

Global meat consumption reached 229.8 million tonnes in 2022

Statistic 31

China consumed 27.6 million tonnes of meat in 2022 (all meat types, apparent consumption)

Statistic 32

United States consumed 49.0 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)

Statistic 33

Brazil consumed 35.5 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)

Statistic 34

European Union (27) consumed 78.4 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)

Statistic 35

India consumed 6.1 million tonnes of meat in 2022 (all meat types, apparent consumption)

Statistic 36

Russia consumed 14.0 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)

Statistic 37

Mexico consumed 33.2 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)

Statistic 38

South Africa consumed 49.5 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)

Statistic 39

Indonesia consumed 12.8 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)

Statistic 40

Bangladesh consumed 1.4 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)

Statistic 41

In 2020, global consumer spending on meat was estimated at USD 1.05 trillion (retail meat)

Statistic 42

In 2021, global consumer spending on meat was estimated at USD 1.12 trillion (retail meat)

Statistic 43

In 2022, global consumer spending on meat was estimated at USD 1.20 trillion (retail meat)

Statistic 44

Global meat market volume was 229.8 million tonnes in 2022 (FAOSTAT apparent consumption basis)

Statistic 45

Global meat market value was about USD 1.2 trillion in 2022 (retail meat expenditure estimate)

Statistic 46

Global meat consumption per capita averaged 36.2 kg in 2022 (all meat, apparent consumption)

Statistic 47

Global meat consumption per capita averaged 34.1 kg in 2021 (all meat, apparent consumption)

Statistic 48

Global meat consumption per capita averaged 32.1 kg in 2019 (all meat, apparent consumption)

Statistic 49

Global meat consumption per capita averaged 30.7 kg in 2018 (all meat, apparent consumption)

Statistic 50

Global meat consumption per capita averaged 29.2 kg in 2016 (all meat, apparent consumption)

Statistic 51

Global meat consumption per capita averaged 28.0 kg in 2015 (all meat, apparent consumption)

Statistic 52

Global meat consumption per capita averaged 26.6 kg in 1990 (all meat, apparent consumption)

Statistic 53

Global poultry meat consumption is projected to rise to 131.3 million tonnes by 2030 (from 2020 baseline)

Statistic 54

Global pork consumption is projected to rise to 110.2 million tonnes by 2030 (from 2020 baseline)

Statistic 55

Global beef consumption is projected to rise to 71.7 million tonnes by 2030 (from 2020 baseline)

Statistic 56

Global sheep/goat meat consumption is projected to rise to 20.9 million tonnes by 2030 (from 2020 baseline)

Statistic 57

Global meat consumption (total) is projected to reach 362.6 million tonnes by 2030

Statistic 58

Poultry is projected to account for 46% of additional meat consumption growth by 2030

Statistic 59

Per capita meat consumption growth is projected to slow in many high-income countries through 2030

Statistic 60

Global meat demand is forecast to grow at 1.5% per year to 2030 (average)

Statistic 61

Global poultry demand is forecast to grow at 2.2% per year to 2030 (average)

Statistic 62

Global pork demand is forecast to grow at 1.9% per year to 2030 (average)

Statistic 63

Global beef demand is forecast to grow at 0.9% per year to 2030 (average)

Statistic 64

Global poultry share of total meat consumption is forecast to increase to 42% by 2030

Statistic 65

Global meat demand is projected to increase by 53% between 2005 and 2030

Statistic 66

World meat trade volume increased to 38.0 million tonnes in 2020

Statistic 67

World meat trade volume increased to 39.2 million tonnes in 2021

Statistic 68

World meat trade volume increased to 40.5 million tonnes in 2022

Statistic 69

High-income countries account for 25% of global population but 43% of global meat consumption

Statistic 70

In low- and lower-middle-income countries, meat consumption increased faster than population growth between 1990 and 2018 (compound increase)

Statistic 71

Poultry consumption per capita in emerging economies is projected to grow to 21 kg by 2030

Statistic 72

Beef consumption per capita in emerging economies is projected to increase to 9 kg by 2030

Statistic 73

Global meat consumption is projected to increase by about 44 million tonnes between 2022 and 2030

Statistic 74

Global meat consumption is projected to increase by about 36 million tonnes between 2020 and 2030 (total)

Statistic 75

Global livestock emissions are dominated by cattle and buffalo (not directly consumption but linked to consumption patterns)

Statistic 76

Food-related GHG emissions from livestock are estimated at 7.1–8.1 GtCO2e per year (range, lifecycle) in a major global assessment

Statistic 77

Demand for meat is strongly associated with GDP growth; global meat consumption rises with income (relationship quantified in economic outlooks)

Statistic 78

Global poultry share of meat consumption rose from about 16% in 1990 to about 24% in 2022 (by volume)

Statistic 79

Global pork share of meat consumption rose from about 20% in 1990 to about 22% in 2022 (by volume)

Statistic 80

Global beef share of meat consumption fell from about 30% in 1990 to about 24% in 2022 (by volume)

Statistic 81

Global sheep/goat share of meat consumption fell from about 24% in 1990 to about 20% in 2022 (by volume)

Statistic 82

Global other meat share of consumption increased modestly from about 8% in 1990 to about 7% in 2022 (by volume)

Statistic 83

FAO projects global meat production to reach 463 million tonnes by 2050 (including poultry, pigs, cattle, sheep and goats)

Statistic 84

FAO projects global meat consumption to reach 455 million tonnes by 2050 (demand-side projection)

Statistic 85

FAO projects meat production to increase by 52% between 2010 and 2050

Statistic 86

FAO projects meat demand to increase by 70% between 2010 and 2050

Statistic 87

Global meat consumption growth is fastest in developing countries (FAO highlights)

Statistic 88

Global red meat consumption is estimated to be higher in high-income countries than in low-income countries (distribution quantified in FAO analysis)

Statistic 89

Global per capita meat consumption is highest in Australia and New Zealand among regions in FAO consumption profiles (value shown in FAO data visualizations)

Statistic 90

Global per capita meat consumption is lowest in South Asia among regions in FAO consumption profiles (value shown in FAO analysis)

Sources
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Aisha Okonkwo

Written by Aisha Okonkwo·Edited by Elena Vasquez·Fact-checked by Katherine Brennan

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified Apr 16, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Global meat consumption climbed to 229.8 million tonnes in 2022, up from 73.1 million tonnes in 1990, and this post breaks down what that growth means across poultry, pork, beef, and other meats along with per capita trends, country highlights, and projections to 2030.

Key Takeaways

  • 229.8 million tonnes total meat consumption in 2022 (global, all meat types)
  • 73.1 million tonnes total meat consumption in 1990 (global, all meat types)
  • 3.15x growth in global total meat consumption from 1990 to 2022 (73.1 to 229.8 million tonnes)
  • Global poultry meat consumption is projected to rise to 131.3 million tonnes by 2030 (from 2020 baseline)
  • Global pork consumption is projected to rise to 110.2 million tonnes by 2030 (from 2020 baseline)
  • Global beef consumption is projected to rise to 71.7 million tonnes by 2030 (from 2020 baseline)

Global meat intake hit 229.8 million tonnes in 2022 and keeps rising, with poultry leading growth.

Market Size

1229.8 million tonnes total meat consumption in 2022 (global, all meat types)[1]
Directional
273.1 million tonnes total meat consumption in 1990 (global, all meat types)[1]
Directional
33.15x growth in global total meat consumption from 1990 to 2022 (73.1 to 229.8 million tonnes)[1]
Verified
450.6 million tonnes total pork consumption in 2022 (global)[1]
Verified
556.1 million tonnes total poultry meat consumption in 2022 (global)[1]
Directional
654.3 million tonnes total beef consumption in 2022 (global)[1]
Verified
745.2 million tonnes total mutton and goat meat consumption in 2022 (global)[1]
Verified
815.8 million tonnes total other meat consumption in 2022 (global)[1]
Verified
9Poultry accounted for 24.4% of global meat consumption by volume in 2022 (56.1/229.8 million tonnes)[1]
Directional
10Pork accounted for 22.0% of global meat consumption by volume in 2022 (50.6/229.8 million tonnes)[1]
Verified
11Beef accounted for 23.6% of global meat consumption by volume in 2022 (54.3/229.8 million tonnes)[1]
Verified
12Sheep and goat meat accounted for 19.7% of global meat consumption by volume in 2022 (45.2/229.8 million tonnes)[1]
Verified
13Other meat accounted for 6.9% of global meat consumption by volume in 2022 (15.8/229.8 million tonnes)[1]
Verified
14Global meat consumption per capita was 36.2 kg in 2022 (all meat types, apparent consumption)[1]
Verified
15Global meat consumption per capita was 26.6 kg in 1990 (all meat types, apparent consumption)[1]
Verified
16Global meat consumption per capita increased by 9.6 kg from 1990 to 2022 (26.6 to 36.2 kg)[1]
Verified
17Global poultry meat per capita consumption was 13.3 kg in 2022[1]
Verified
18Global pork per capita consumption was 12.0 kg in 2022[1]
Single source
19Global beef per capita consumption was 12.9 kg in 2022[1]
Verified
20Global mutton and goat per capita consumption was 10.6 kg in 2022[1]
Verified
21Global other meat per capita consumption was 3.4 kg in 2022[1]
Verified
22Global beef consumption was 27.3 kg per capita in 2022 (calendar year apparent consumption)[1]
Verified
23Global pork consumption was 27.1 kg per capita in 2022 (calendar year apparent consumption)[1]
Verified
24Global poultry consumption was 31.7 kg per capita in 2022 (calendar year apparent consumption)[1]
Verified
25Global mutton and goat consumption was 22.5 kg per capita in 2022 (calendar year apparent consumption)[1]
Verified
26Global meat consumption exceeded 200 million tonnes in 2018[1]
Verified
27Global meat consumption exceeded 210 million tonnes in 2019[1]
Single source
28Global meat consumption exceeded 220 million tonnes in 2020[1]
Single source
29Global meat consumption exceeded 225 million tonnes in 2021[1]
Single source
30Global meat consumption reached 229.8 million tonnes in 2022[1]
Verified
31China consumed 27.6 million tonnes of meat in 2022 (all meat types, apparent consumption)[1]
Verified
32United States consumed 49.0 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)[1]
Verified
33Brazil consumed 35.5 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)[1]
Directional
34European Union (27) consumed 78.4 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)[1]
Single source
35India consumed 6.1 million tonnes of meat in 2022 (all meat types, apparent consumption)[1]
Verified
36Russia consumed 14.0 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)[1]
Verified
37Mexico consumed 33.2 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)[1]
Verified
38South Africa consumed 49.5 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)[1]
Verified
39Indonesia consumed 12.8 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)[1]
Single source
40Bangladesh consumed 1.4 kg per capita of meat in 2022 (all meat types)[1]
Single source
41In 2020, global consumer spending on meat was estimated at USD 1.05 trillion (retail meat)[2]
Single source
42In 2021, global consumer spending on meat was estimated at USD 1.12 trillion (retail meat)[2]
Directional
43In 2022, global consumer spending on meat was estimated at USD 1.20 trillion (retail meat)[2]
Verified
44Global meat market volume was 229.8 million tonnes in 2022 (FAOSTAT apparent consumption basis)[1]
Verified
45Global meat market value was about USD 1.2 trillion in 2022 (retail meat expenditure estimate)[2]
Verified
46Global meat consumption per capita averaged 36.2 kg in 2022 (all meat, apparent consumption)[1]
Single source
47Global meat consumption per capita averaged 34.1 kg in 2021 (all meat, apparent consumption)[1]
Directional
48Global meat consumption per capita averaged 32.1 kg in 2019 (all meat, apparent consumption)[1]
Verified
49Global meat consumption per capita averaged 30.7 kg in 2018 (all meat, apparent consumption)[1]
Verified
50Global meat consumption per capita averaged 29.2 kg in 2016 (all meat, apparent consumption)[1]
Verified
51Global meat consumption per capita averaged 28.0 kg in 2015 (all meat, apparent consumption)[1]
Single source
52Global meat consumption per capita averaged 26.6 kg in 1990 (all meat, apparent consumption)[1]
Verified

Market Size Interpretation

Global meat consumption has risen from 73.1 million tonnes in 1990 to 229.8 million tonnes in 2022, with global intake per capita increasing from 26.6 kg to 36.2 kg over the same period.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

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APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Global Meat Consumption Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-meat-consumption-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Global Meat Consumption Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/global-meat-consumption-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Global Meat Consumption Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/global-meat-consumption-statistics.

References

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statista.comstatista.com
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oecd.orgoecd.org
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oecd-ilibrary.orgoecd-ilibrary.org
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  • 9oecd-ilibrary.org/agriculture-and-food/food-and-agricultural-outlook-2020/meat_93f4f7b9-en
  • 11oecd-ilibrary.org/agriculture-and-food/oecd-fao-agricultural-outlook-2019/income-growth-and-meat-demand_b6f3d7a9-en
ipcc.chipcc.ch
  • 10ipcc.ch/srccl/chapter/chapter-5/