Global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of... in China
China: Global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of... was 595.07 million tonnes in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of... in China, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of... in China is 595.07 million tonnes, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.1% on the previous year and up 38.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of... in China peaked at 595.07 million tonnes in 2023 and was at its lowest, 10.26 million tonnes, in 1961.
That places China 57th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of... in China, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 10.26 million tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 12.53 million tonnes | +22.0% |
| 1963 | 19.79 million tonnes | +58.0% |
| 1964 | 25.19 million tonnes | +27.3% |
| 1965 | 28.44 million tonnes | +12.9% |
| 1966 | 30.62 million tonnes | +7.7% |
| 1967 | 32.38 million tonnes | +5.8% |
| 1968 | 31.88 million tonnes | -1.5% |
| 1969 | 31.11 million tonnes | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 30.72 million tonnes | -1.3% |
| 1971 | 34.84 million tonnes | +13.4% |
| 1972 | 38.28 million tonnes | +9.9% |
| 1973 | 38.54 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 39.10 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 40.26 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1976 | 40.14 million tonnes | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 40.63 million tonnes | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 44.33 million tonnes | +9.1% |
| 1979 | 53.85 million tonnes | +21.5% |
| 1980 | 60.62 million tonnes | +12.6% |
| 1981 | 63.59 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 1982 | 67.87 million tonnes | +6.7% |
| 1983 | 70.60 million tonnes | +4.0% |
| 1984 | 77.38 million tonnes | +9.6% |
| 1985 | 87.81 million tonnes | +13.5% |
| 1986 | 93.02 million tonnes | +5.9% |
| 1987 | 101.58 million tonnes | +9.2% |
| 1988 | 112.80 million tonnes | +11.0% |
| 1989 | 119.14 million tonnes | +5.6% |
| 1990 | 127.60 million tonnes | +7.1% |
| 1991 | 139.21 million tonnes | +9.1% |
| 1992 | 153.59 million tonnes | +10.3% |
| 1993 | 167.96 million tonnes | +9.4% |
| 1994 | 184.27 million tonnes | +9.7% |
| 1995 | 200.50 million tonnes | +8.8% |
| 1996 | 204.85 million tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 222.54 million tonnes | +8.6% |
| 1998 | 242.51 million tonnes | +9.0% |
| 1999 | 254.66 million tonnes | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 273.87 million tonnes | +7.5% |
| 2001 | 275.69 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 284.64 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2003 | 301.30 million tonnes | +5.9% |
| 2004 | 305.88 million tonnes | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 321.09 million tonnes | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 335.38 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2007 | 349.79 million tonnes | +4.3% |
| 2008 | 370.13 million tonnes | +5.8% |
| 2009 | 386.55 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 409.04 million tonnes | +5.8% |
| 2011 | 405.42 million tonnes | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 416.59 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 430.35 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 445.69 million tonnes | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 453.90 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 468.69 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 470.60 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 479.74 million tonnes | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 488.04 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 463.09 million tonnes | -5.1% |
| 2021 | 522.83 million tonnes | +12.9% |
| 2022 | 560.68 million tonnes | +7.2% |
| 2023 | 595.07 million tonnes | +6.1% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 595.07 million tonnes is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 471.46 million tonnes, 1.3× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 595.07 million tonnes is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 515.05 million tonnes, 1.2× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of... in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | +58.0% | 12.53 million tonnes | 19.79 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 24.69 million tonnes | 10.26 million tonnes | 32.38 million tonnes | 9 |
| 1970s | 40.07 million tonnes | 30.72 million tonnes | 53.85 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 85.44 million tonnes | 60.62 million tonnes | 119.14 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 189.77 million tonnes | 127.60 million tonnes | 254.66 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 320.43 million tonnes | 273.87 million tonnes | 386.55 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 446.81 million tonnes | 405.42 million tonnes | 488.04 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 535.42 million tonnes | 463.09 million tonnes | 595.07 million tonnes | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0666 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 923.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3366 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of... in China?
- Global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of... in China was 595.07 million tonnes in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of... recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 595.07 million tonnes in 2023.
- What is the lowest global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of... recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.26 million tonnes in 1961.
- How does China rank for global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of...?
- China ranks 57th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of... rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Global meat demand if everyone ate like the average citizen of.... Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Hypothetical global meat demand if everyone in the world ate the same quantity as the average citizen of a given country.