Which EU Country Consumes the Most Meat?

Key Takeaways

• Denmark records the EU’s highest meat consumption per capita. It reached 101.3 kg per person in 2023.
• Belgium records the EU’s lowest meat consumption per capita. It reached 60.0 kg per person in 2023.
• Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Finland all rank among the EU’s wealthiest countries, yet all four land in the bottom half for meat consumption per capita.
• Germany ranks 20th of 27 EU countries for meat consumption per capita. It still consumes more meat than seven other member states.
• Spain is the EU’s largest pork producer in 2024.
• Spain, France, and Ireland are the EU’s top three producers of sheep and goat meat in 2024.

Meat Consumption Across EU Countries

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Denmark consumes 101.3 kg of meat per capita a year. That is about 277 grams of meat available per person each day.

Denmark’s daily 277 grams is close to a standard pack of bacon from the supermarket.

Belgium consumes 60.0 kg of meat per capita a year. That works out to about 164 grams a day.

Belgium’s daily 164 grams is roughly the size of a single chicken breast. Its total meat consumption per capita is also the EU’s lowest among the 27 member states in 2023.

Denmark and Spain Lead the EU’s Top Five for Meat Consumption Per Capita

Five EU countries consumed more than 90 kg of meat per capita in 2023:

• Denmark (101.27 kg)
• Spain (100.79 kg)
• Croatia (99.71 kg)
• Portugal (99.32 kg)
• Ireland (98.38 kg)

Denmark raised 11.6 million pigs in 2024. That nearly doubled the country’s human population of about 6 million.

Spain produced the most pork among all EU countries in 2024.

In 2024, Ireland, Spain, and France were also the EU’s top three producers of sheep and goat meat.

Permanent grassland covers 52% of Ireland’s farmland. That is the highest share of any EU country.

EU food exports by country ->

Germany Ranks Below EU Average for Meat Consumption

Germany is one of the EU’s larger, wealthier economies. Despite that, it ranks only 20th in the EU for meat consumption per capita.

Germany’s meat consumption reached 70.7 kg per person in 2023. That is below the EU average of 78.4 kg.

Germany’s total meat consumption works out to about 194 grams of meat available per person each day.

The same pattern shows up in several other high-income EU countries. They all have large economies but low meat consumption per capita:

• Belgium: 59.97 kg
• Sweden: 68.35 kg
• Netherlands: 71.58 kg
• Finland: 69.39 kg

Croatia’s position is the opposite of Germany’s wealth and meat consumption. It ranks 3rd among 27 EU countries for meat consumption per capita despite being one of the EU’s lower-income countries.