Meat is a popular food group and is solid in almost every restaurant. Meat can be versatile and can be sold in many different ways, giving you different tastes and flavors. We most likely know what the favorite meats of our country are, but are those meat choices universal? What are the most consumed meats in the world?
In this article we will explore data and the different types of meat that are the most popular across the world.
Table of Contents
- What Are The 3 Most Popular Meats In The World?
- What Meat Does America Eat Most?
- What Is The Most Eaten Bird In The World?
- What Is The Number 1 Selling Meat In The World?
- What Is The Most Consumed Red Meat In The World
- The Top 10 Most Popular Meats In The World
- The Most Consumed Meat In The World Is Between Pork and Chicken
What Are The 3 Most Popular Meats In The World?
The top, most popular meats in the world can change from time to time but some meat types stay in the top three and do not move. So, what are the top 3 most consumed kind of meat in the world?
Currently the top 3 most popular meats are Chicken, Pork, and Beef.
Chicken holds the number one spot based on 2019 statistics. 118 million tons of chicken was consumed in 2019. Chicken is then followed by pork, with 110 million tons being consumed in 2019. Beef is the third most popular meat with 68 million tons being consumed in 2019.
Although, there is controversy on this issue. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization states that the top 3 most consumed kinds of meat in the world appear in a different order.
Here is a list of the top most consumed kinds of meat in the world according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization:
- Pork: Pork is considered to be the most consumed meat in the world by 36%. Both Muslims and Jews do not consume pork for religious reasons. Due to this there is a large percentage of people who do not eat pork. Nevertheless, pork still holds the number one position in the most consumed meat in the world.
- Poultry: Poultry is mainly referring to chicken which is considered to be the second most consumed meat in the world at 33%.
- Beef: Beef is considered to be the third most consumed meat in the world by 24%.
- Lamb: Lamb is considered to be the fourth most consumed meat in the world, but only consumed at 5%. Mutton is consumed by those who eat pork and beef, but is not as popular of a choice.
- Turkey: Turkey is considered to be the fifth most consumed meat in the world. However, it is a seasonal meat and position in the list is variable.
What Meat Does America Eat Most?
Chicken, Chicken, Chicken. America LOVES chicken.
Most restaurants and diners will always have a chicken dish on the menu and most cafes have chicken sandwiches. This is due to chicken being so versatile. You can use chicken to make fried chicken kievs, you can eat chicken cold as part of a sandwich or you can have a whole chicken as the main feature of your Sunday roast.
The most consumed meat in the United States in 2020 was chicken. You can purchase chicken in all types of forms.
Here is a list of ways you can purchase chicken, which is the most consumed meat in American In 2020:
- Chicken breast
- Chicken thigh
- Whole chicken
- Poultry half
- Chicken breast quarter
- Tenderloin
- Chicken wing
- Chicken drumsticks
- Chicken leg
- Chicken giblets
What Is The Most Eaten Bird In The World?
It may seem like an obvious answer but chicken is the most eaten bird in the world.
Chicken consumption has doubled meaning that chickens now count for 23 billion of the 30 billion land animals that are living on farms across the United States.
This answer may change depending on what month you google it. In December, turkey, another popular bird, is the most eaten bird in the world, even more popular than chicken. This is due to Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is traditional to prepare and eat a turkey meal, especially on Christmas day. Therefore the production of turkey increases in November and December, overtaking chicken.
What Is The Number 1 Selling Meat In The World?
The number 1 selling meat in the world, across every country, is chicken.
Billions of chickens are produced for consumption in America and Canada alone every year. As each year passes, chicken consumption and production is increasing faster than any other meat consumption or production, such as beef, pork or lamb.
Chicken meat is very popular across the United States, not only for home cooking, but across restaurants and diners. Chicken meat can be used to make very versatile dishes and is quick to cook. It is also very easy to prepare and serve.
Chicken has been popular since the 1960s and production rates have been increasing. It is predicted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that chicken meat production will increase by 1.3% each year.
Chicken is meant to be more environmentally friendly than other meats that are available to purchase. Chicken has a carbon footprint that is almost half of beef’s carbon footprint. It also has a carbon footprint that is a quarter of what beef’s carbon footprint is, making it the superior meat when compared on its sustainability and carbon footprint.
What Is The Most Consumed Red Meat In The World
The answer is pork. Pork meat from a pig is eaten in amounts of 110 million tons across the world. Pork is one of the most popular meats across Europe, America and China in the form of bacon, sausage, loin , pork chops and pork joints. China is the largest pork producer in the world followed by the United States.
Pork is a very popular choice of red meat due to its nutritious value. Pork provides a strong source of protein and it is full of vitamins and minerals. It also mainly includes vitamin B1 which is beneficial for the digestive system and nervous system.
The Top 10 Most Popular Meats In The World
In other parts of the world meat such as buffalo and goose is more popular than chicken and pork, which is the most popular meats in the United States. Here is a full list of the top 10 most popular meats in the world:
- Spot 10: The meat that holds spot 10 of the most popular meats in the world is Rabbit. Rabbit meat is most popular in countries such as China, Europe, and South America. Rabbit meat is a great source of protein and kind to our stomachs by being easily digestible. China is the main country, along with Spain and France that consumes the most rabbit meat. Spain and Italy combined have consumed over 96 thousand tons of rabbit meat in 2020.
- Spot 9: The meat that holds spot 9 of the most popular meats in the world is Goose meat. Goose meat is most popular in China, where over 76% of consumption of goose meat takes place. France follows China as it is the second-largest consumer of goose meat in the world. In 2020, France consumed over 203,000 tons of goose meat within the year.
- Spot 8: The meat that holds spot 8 of the most popular meats in the world is Buffalo. In countries like India, Buffalo meat is more popular than beef as it is has a reduced fat level. Buffalo meat is popular in countries such as India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Bulgaria, Italy, Russia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Australia, and Egypt.
- Spot 7: The meat that holds spot 7 of the most popular meats in the world is Duck. Duck meat is most popular in China. In China 5.5 million tons of duck meat is consumed.
- Spot 6: The meat that holds spot 6 of the most popular meats in the world is Goat. Goat meat is the leanest red meat available in the world. Goat meat is mainly consumed in countries such as South Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
- Spot 5: The meat that holds spot 5 of the most popular meats in the world is Turkey. Turkey is a fantastic alternative to chicken meat as it has fewer calories. Turkey meat can have a higher demand based on the seasons of the year and is most regularly consumed in North America, Europe, and Latin America.
- Spot 4: The meat that holds spot 4 of the most popular meats in the world is Lamb. Countries such as Australia and New Zealand are the largest consumer of lamb.
- Spot 3: The meat that holds spot 3 of the most popular meats in the world is Beef. Beef meat is the most adaptable meat and is mainly consumed by countries such as United States, China, the European Union, Brazil, and India.
- Spot 2: The meat that holds spot 2 of the most popular meats in the world is Chicken. Chicken production and consumption is increasing every year. Billions of chickens are being produced for consumption in Canada, the United States, South America, Africa, and United Kingdom.
- Spot 1: The meat that holds spot 1 of the most popular meats in the world is Pork. Countries such as China and the United States produces the most pork.
The Most Consumed Meat In The World Is Between Pork and Chicken
The most consumed meat in the world is a divide between two meat types – chicken and pork. Both meats are very popular although chicken can be eaten by all as it is excluded from any religions unlike pork. There is little difference between the numbers showing the popularity of chicken and pork. It may differ which meat is the most popular depending on which country.
What is your favorite meat to consume? Which meat do you purchase more of?
