Daily meat consumption per person in South Africa
South Africa: Daily meat consumption per person was 159.64 grams per day per capita in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
159.64 grams per day per capita
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
95th
of 192 countries
All-time high
174.63 grams per day per capita
in 2016
All-time low
88.52 grams per day per capita
in 1989
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Daily meat consumption per person in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in grams per day per capita.
Analysis
In 2023, daily meat consumption per person in South Africa stood at 159.64 grams per day per capita.
That represents a change of down 3.0% on the previous year and down 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, daily meat consumption per person in South Africa peaked at 174.63 grams per day per capita in 2016 and was at its lowest, 88.52 grams per day per capita, in 1989.
That places South Africa 95th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Daily meat consumption per person in South Africa, year by year
| Year | grams per day per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 93.25 grams per day per capita | — |
| 1962 | 91.15 grams per day per capita | -2.2% |
| 1963 | 91.45 grams per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 92.36 grams per day per capita | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 94.18 grams per day per capita | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 93.24 grams per day per capita | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 93.47 grams per day per capita | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 95.15 grams per day per capita | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 97.55 grams per day per capita | +2.5% |
| 1970 | 91.73 grams per day per capita | -6.0% |
| 1971 | 91.53 grams per day per capita | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 98.11 grams per day per capita | +7.2% |
| 1973 | 97.18 grams per day per capita | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 96.78 grams per day per capita | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 98.33 grams per day per capita | +1.6% |
| 1976 | 99.65 grams per day per capita | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 98.26 grams per day per capita | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 98.7 grams per day per capita | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 98.07 grams per day per capita | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 97.26 grams per day per capita | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 93.41 grams per day per capita | -4.0% |
| 1982 | 97.22 grams per day per capita | +4.1% |
| 1983 | 95.81 grams per day per capita | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 96.48 grams per day per capita | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 97.04 grams per day per capita | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 89.86 grams per day per capita | -7.4% |
| 1987 | 92.81 grams per day per capita | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 90.71 grams per day per capita | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 88.52 grams per day per capita | -2.4% |
| 1990 | 100.71 grams per day per capita | +13.8% |
| 1991 | 98.67 grams per day per capita | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 102.51 grams per day per capita | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 99.79 grams per day per capita | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 101.52 grams per day per capita | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 95.28 grams per day per capita | -6.2% |
| 1996 | 94.71 grams per day per capita | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 98.28 grams per day per capita | +3.8% |
| 1998 | 91.39 grams per day per capita | -7.0% |
| 1999 | 96.44 grams per day per capita | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 108.38 grams per day per capita | +12.4% |
| 2001 | 102.45 grams per day per capita | -5.5% |
| 2002 | 105.46 grams per day per capita | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 111.3 grams per day per capita | +5.5% |
| 2004 | 115.52 grams per day per capita | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 122.56 grams per day per capita | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 132.74 grams per day per capita | +8.3% |
| 2007 | 142.01 grams per day per capita | +7.0% |
| 2008 | 152.36 grams per day per capita | +7.3% |
| 2009 | 154.95 grams per day per capita | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 158.47 grams per day per capita | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 161.89 grams per day per capita | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 162.3 grams per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 168.82 grams per day per capita | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 172.69 grams per day per capita | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 169.75 grams per day per capita | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 174.63 grams per day per capita | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 169.73 grams per day per capita | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 174.25 grams per day per capita | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 171.7 grams per day per capita | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 173.18 grams per day per capita | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 169.73 grams per day per capita | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 164.63 grams per day per capita | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 159.64 grams per day per capita | -3.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 93.53 grams per day per capita | 91.15 grams per day per capita | 97.55 grams per day per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 96.83 grams per day per capita | 91.53 grams per day per capita | 99.65 grams per day per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 93.91 grams per day per capita | 88.52 grams per day per capita | 97.26 grams per day per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 97.93 grams per day per capita | 91.39 grams per day per capita | 102.51 grams per day per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 124.77 grams per day per capita | 102.45 grams per day per capita | 154.95 grams per day per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 168.42 grams per day per capita | 158.47 grams per day per capita | 174.63 grams per day per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 166.79 grams per day per capita | 159.64 grams per day per capita | 173.18 grams per day per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 92 Belgium 164.3 grams per day per capita compare
- 93 Japan 164.15 grams per day per capita compare
- 94 Papua New Guinea 160.19 grams per day per capita compare
- 96 Saudi Arabia 159.12 grams per day per capita compare
- 97 Zimbabwe 157.75 grams per day per capita compare
- 98 Albania 155.29 grams per day per capita compare
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0283 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 186.56 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.812 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3618 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is daily meat consumption per person in South Africa?
- Daily meat consumption per person in South Africa was 159.64 grams per day per capita in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest daily meat consumption per person recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 174.63 grams per day per capita in 2016.
- What is the lowest daily meat consumption per person recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 88.52 grams per day per capita in 1989.
- How does South Africa rank for daily meat consumption per person?
- South Africa ranks 95th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is daily meat consumption per person rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Daily meat consumption per person. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Quantity that is available for consumption at the end of the supply chain. It does not account for consumer waste, so the quantity that is actually consumed may be lower.