Food and Beverage
Beef Consumption by Country 2026
Beef Consumption per capita (kg/cap)
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5 Countries that Consume the Most Beef Per Capita
48.99 kg/cap
39.07 kg/cap
37.04 kg/cap
33.28 kg/cap
32.27 kg/cap
- Data tracks food supply rather than actual consumption. Exact consumption values are likely slightly lower due to spoilage and food waste by consumers.
- Values are displayed in tonnes, also known as metric tons. One tonne = 1,000 kg, or approximately 2,204.6 lbs.
- Totals have been rounded to the nearest thousand tonnes.
Despite the large number of people who eat vegetarian diets or eschew beef, the world has millions of beef eaters. In fact, in 2020, global consumption of beef reached 130 billion pounds.
Determining Beef Consumption Amounts
When looking at beef consumption in individual countries, either the food supply or consumption values provide the necessary information. However, the numbers differ slightly due to the definitions of food supply and consumption.
Estimating Beef Consumption Via Supply
Beef supply numbers indicate the amount of beef available within a country for consumers and businesses to use. This number counts the volume of beef before people have a chance to eat it, so it shows a higher number than actual consumption.
The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations tracks the beef supply for countries globally. To report supply numbers, the organization uses the metric system, the most accepted form of measurement around the world, in kilograms per capita per year.
Beef Consumption Values
Beef consumption reflects the amount of beef actually consumed and not thrown away due to spoilage or waste. Therefore, the consumption values are typically lower than the supply numbers for a country.
Since the United States Department of Agriculture provides global beef consumption statistics, the numbers are in total volume in pounds for an entire country.
Countries with the Highest Beef Consumption in 2020-22
Beef supply and consumption have two different top-ranking countries. For per-person beef supply, Argentina tops the list. In that country, residents had an average supply of 103 pounds (46.93 kilograms) of beef per person per year as of 2020, with very similar figures for 2022.
However, when looking at the total consumption volume for a country, the United States ranks at the top. In 2020, United States residents ate 21% of the world’s beef, which was nearly 27.6 billion pounds (12.5 billion kilograms). The supply for the United States in 2020 was only 83.48 pounds (37.87 kilograms) per capita annually, placing it in third for supply after Argentina and Zimbabwe.
In 2022, the US per capita beef consumption amounted to 38.01 kg, showing that Americans are highly consistent in their beef eating habits. Comparatively, Argentinians ate almost 46 kg per person in that year.
Countries with the Lowest Beef Consumption in 2020-22
Not all countries have high beef supply levels. The country with the lowest supply and consumption is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2020, that nation had a beef supply of 0.57 pounds (0.26 kilograms) per person per year. Its consumption that year was 0.02% of the world’s beef, or 26 million pounds (11.7 million kilograms).
In 2022, total Congolese beef consumption increased to 31 million kilograms. The country with the lowest per capita beef consumption for that year was Poland at only 0.25 kg.
