Is Meat Consumption Increasing Or Decreasing?

Global meat consumption has risen steadily for decades, and that long-term trend has not reversed. Per-person meat intake is higher today than it was in the 1960s in most countries, and total global demand keeps climbing as populations grow and incomes rise. But the global number hides a split: consumption is still rising in many low- and middle-income countries while flattening or falling in several wealthier ones.

That divide matters more than any single headline number. It explains why the answer depends on whether you are asking about the world, a specific country, or a specific type of meat.

Is Meat Consumption Increasing Or Decreasing Globally?

Globally, meat consumption is increasing. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization tracks food supply data going back to 1961, and those records show a clear upward trend in both total meat consumed and average intake per person worldwide.

Two forces drive the rise. The first is population growth — more people simply means more meals. The second is income. As households move out of poverty, they tend to add more animal protein to their diets. This pattern has repeated across many countries during their economic development.

The growth is not evenly spread. Much of the recent increase comes from Asia, particularly China, where rising incomes over the past few decades shifted diets toward more meat. Poultry has led much of that growth because it is relatively cheap to produce and widely accepted across cultures.

Projections from agricultural agencies generally point to continued growth in global demand through the coming decades, though the pace is expected to slow compared with the rapid expansion of recent decades. These are projections, not certainties. They depend on assumptions about population, income, and policy that can change.

Why Is Meat Consumption Falling In Some Wealthy Countries?

In several high-income countries, per-person meat consumption has plateaued or declined. The United States, parts of Western Europe, and a few other wealthy nations have seen average intake level off or edge downward in recent years.

The reasons vary and are not fully settled. Health concerns play a role — public health guidance in many countries has encouraged people to limit processed meats and choose leaner proteins. Cost matters too, especially when beef prices rise. Environmental awareness appears to influence some consumers, particularly younger ones. And food culture is shifting, with more plant-based options appearing in supermarkets and restaurants.

It is worth being precise here. A decline in per-person consumption is not the same as a decline in total consumption. A country can see average intake fall while its total meat consumption rises, if its population is growing. This distinction is one of the most commonly confused points in news coverage of diet trends.

The shifts are also modest in most cases. Reports of a dramatic turn away from meat in wealthy countries tend to overstate what the data show. The changes are gradual and uneven across regions and age groups.

Which Types Of Meat Are Growing And Which Are Shrinking?

Poultry is the fastest-growing category worldwide. It has overtaken other meats in many markets and continues to expand. Lower production costs, fewer religious restrictions, and consumer preference for leaner protein all support that trend.

Beef tells a different story in high-income countries. Per-person beef consumption in the United States has fallen substantially from its peak in the 1970s, even as total beef production remains large because of exports and overall demand. Pork consumption is relatively stable in many markets and rising in others, particularly in parts of Asia.

Processed meats occupy their own category. Public health bodies have advised limiting processed meat intake, and some consumers have responded by cutting back. Still, processed meats remain widely consumed.

What Is Driving The Global Increase?

Income growth is the single largest factor. When people have more disposable income, they tend to diversify their diets, and animal products are often among the first additions. This relationship between income and meat intake has been documented across many countries and time periods.

Urbanization reinforces the trend. City dwellers often have more access to supermarkets, refrigeration, and restaurant food, all of which make meat easier to buy and store. Supply chains have also improved, making meat more available and often cheaper in real terms than it once was.

Government policy can push in either direction. Some countries subsidize livestock production. Others have begun exploring taxes or labeling rules aimed at reducing meat intake for health or environmental reasons. The effect of these policies on actual consumption is still being studied, and the evidence is mixed.

How Does Meat Consumption Compare Across Countries?

Intake varies enormously. The United States, Australia, and several European countries report some of the highest per-person meat consumption in the world. India reports among the lowest, reflecting both cultural and economic factors. China sits in the middle and has moved upward over time.

These differences are not just about wealth. Religion, tradition, and local food systems shape what people eat as much as income does. A country can be wealthy and still have relatively low meat intake, or developing and have rising intake.

Because measurement methods differ between countries, direct comparisons should be treated with some caution. Food supply data estimate what is available in a country, not exactly what each person eats. Survey-based data capture individual intake but can be affected by how people report their own diets.

What Does This Mean For Health And The Environment?

High meat intake, particularly of processed and red meat, has been linked in many studies to increased risk of certain chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and some cancers. This is one of the more consistent findings in nutrition research, though the size of the effect and the role of different meat types remain areas of active study.

On the environmental side, livestock production is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water use. The scale of that contribution varies widely depending on the type of animal and how it is raised. These findings come from a large body of research, though estimates differ between studies.

What is less clear is how quickly consumption patterns will change in response. Dietary habits tend to shift slowly. Policy, price, culture, and personal preference all interact in ways that are hard to predict.

Will Meat Consumption Keep Rising?

Most projections point to continued growth in global meat consumption, driven mainly by population growth and rising incomes in developing countries. At the same time, per-person intake in many wealthy countries is expected to stay flat or decline modestly.

The net result is a world that eats more meat in total, even as some nations eat less per person. That is the honest summary of where the data point today. Projections, however, are not guarantees. Changes in prices, policy, technology, and consumer behavior could shift the trajectory in ways no model fully captures.