World meat consumption statistics

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Tons of meat eaten

Globally, this year

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145,171,735

Tons of meat eaten

Globally, this year

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Meat requires enormous amounts of energy...
and water to produce. Check out the world meat consumption statistics below and see why it’s a good idea not to eat too much meat.

Top 5 facts about meat

1

Meat is very "inefficient" food

Meat has a much higher “energy footprint” than any other food. It takes 75 times more energy to produce meat than corn. And it takes an area of vegetation 7 times the size of the EU to produce food for the cattle and other livestock animals in Europe.

2

Maybe too "inefficient"

One hectare of rice or potato cropland can feed between 19 and 22 people in one year. For beef or lamb one hectare can feed only 1 or 2 people. But cropland is shrinking. By 2050, we may have less than 0.1 hectares per person on the planet.

3

Meat production requires fossil fuel

It takes an estimated 2-3 calories of fossil fuel to produce 1 calorie of protein from soybeans, corn, or wheat. For beef it takes 54 calories of fuel to produce 1 calorie of protein.

4

Meat consumption contributes to global food crisis

Almost HALF of the world’s harvest is fed to animals. Globally, 90 percent of the ever-increasing soybean harvest goes for animal feed.

5

Current patterns must change

Worldwide meat production increased nearly 5 times in the second half of the 20th century, and the amount eaten per person doubled. By 2050 meat consumption could increase by as much as another 160 percent. This will put enormous pressure on crop and water resources.

Meat

Globally, we consume 315 million tons of meat every year. In 2030 this number will be 453 million - a 44 percent increase. Projections for world meat demand, however, are uncertain, varying from 375 to 570 million tonnes by 2050, that is, an increase of 70–160 percent compared to 2000.

Meat is very "inefficient" food

Maybe too "inefficient"

Meat production requires fossil fuel

Meat consumption contributes to global food crisis

Current patterns must change

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