Which countries eat the most meat?

In many countries meat is part of the staple diet but have you ever wondered which countries have the biggest appetite for it?

To mark World Vegan Day, The Telegraph mapped countries around the world that consume the least and the most meat.

Bangladesh eats the least meat with an average person consuming just four kilos of meat, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. India, Burundi and Sri Lanka, follow Bangladesh while Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Mozambique, Gambia and Malawi complete the top 10 countries that consume the least meat.



India is 2nd on a list of countries that consume the least meat. Cow is considered to be sacred for most people making its ranking in line with expectations. PHOTO: REUTERS

The list shows the 20 countries that eat the least meat:

1) Bangladesh - 4 kg of meat per person per year

2) India - 4.4 kg

3) Burundi - 5.2 kg

4) Sri Lanka - 6.3 kg

5) Rwanda - 6.5 kg

6) Sierra Leone - 7.3 kg

7) Eritrea - 7.7 kg

8) Mozambique - 7.8 kg

9) Gambia - 8.1 kg

10) Malawi - 8.3 kg

11) Ethiopia - 8.5 kg

12) Guinea - 8.6 kg

13) Nigeria - 8.8 kg

14) Tanzania - 9.6 kg

15) Nepal - 9.9 kg

16) Liberia - 10.4 kg

17) Uganda - 11 kg

18) Indonesia - 11.6 kg

19) Togo - 11.7 kg

20) Solomon Islands - 11.9 kg

When it comes to meat eating countries, the US leads the way which comes as a surprise to no one. A single US resident consumes, on average, 120.2 kilos - 30 times more than an average citizen from Bangladesh (the least meat eating country).

Surprisingly, the US is followed by Kuwait whose average citizen consumes 119.2 kg of meat per year. Kuwait has a population of 3.3 million people and is far smaller in size compared to the other countries on the list. Kuwait is followed by Australia, The Bahamas, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Austria, French Polynesia, Bermuda and Argentina in the top 10 most meat eating countries.

Several of the most meat-hungry countries are also among the most obese. The US is the 12th most obese country with Kuwait 9th, the Bahamas 10th, New Zealand 24th and Australia 26th.

Robby Kseeb eating a shake shack burger in New York. The US tops the list of countries that consume the most meat. PHOTO: REUTERS

Here is a list of the 20 countries that eat the most meat:

1) USA - 120 kg of meat per person per year

2) Kuwait - 119.2 kg

3) Australia - 111.5 kg

4) The Bahamas - 109.5 kg

5) Luxembourg - 107.9 kg

6) New Zealand - 106.4 kg

7) Austria - 102 kg

8) French Polynesia - 101.9 kg

9) Bermuda - 101.7 kg

10) Argentina - 98.3 kg

11) Spain - 97 kg

12) Israel - 96 kg

13) Denmark - 95.2 kg

14) Canada - 94.3 kg

15) St Lucia - 93.6 kg

16) Portugal - 93.4 kg

17) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - 91.4 kg

18) Netherlands Antilles - 91 kg

19) Italy - 90.7 kg

20) Slovenia - 88.3 kg



Meat consumption has been declining in half of the countries listed above. Between 2002 and 2009 US residents consumption of meat fell from 124.8 kilos per person to 120.2, while in Luxembourg, it fell from 141.7 to 107.9. Denmark (previously the world's biggest consumers of meat) has had a fall of meat consumption from 145.9 kg to 95.2 kg.

This article originally appeared on The Telegraph.