Animal protein consumption in China
China: Animal protein consumption was 10.4 grams of protein per day per capita in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
10.4 grams of protein per day per capita
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
25th
of 192 countries
All-time high
10.4 grams of protein per day per capita
in 2023
All-time low
1.11 grams of protein per day per capita
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Animal protein consumption in China, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in grams of protein per day per capita.
Analysis
China recorded 10.4 grams of protein per day per capita for animal protein consumption in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, animal protein consumption in China peaked at 10.4 grams of protein per day per capita in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.11 grams of protein per day per capita, in 1961.
China ranks 25th of 192 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Animal protein consumption in China, year by year
| Year | grams of protein per day per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.11 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1962 | 1.49 grams of protein per day per capita | +34.8% |
| 1963 | 1.5 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 1.48 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.0% |
| 1965 | 1.57 grams of protein per day per capita | +6.2% |
| 1966 | 1.55 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.4% |
| 1967 | 1.5 grams of protein per day per capita | -3.6% |
| 1968 | 1.52 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 1.36 grams of protein per day per capita | -10.3% |
| 1970 | 1.28 grams of protein per day per capita | -6.4% |
| 1971 | 1.4 grams of protein per day per capita | +9.4% |
| 1972 | 1.45 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.7% |
| 1973 | 1.45 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 1.59 grams of protein per day per capita | +9.8% |
| 1975 | 1.65 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.3% |
| 1976 | 1.26 grams of protein per day per capita | -23.5% |
| 1977 | 1.26 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 1.25 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 1.14 grams of protein per day per capita | -8.8% |
| 1980 | 1.17 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 1.14 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.6% |
| 1982 | 1.3 grams of protein per day per capita | +13.9% |
| 1983 | 1.27 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.3% |
| 1984 | 1.43 grams of protein per day per capita | +12.8% |
| 1985 | 1.63 grams of protein per day per capita | +14.2% |
| 1986 | 1.9 grams of protein per day per capita | +16.2% |
| 1987 | 2.14 grams of protein per day per capita | +12.9% |
| 1988 | 2.31 grams of protein per day per capita | +7.8% |
| 1989 | 2.46 grams of protein per day per capita | +6.3% |
| 1990 | 2.56 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.1% |
| 1991 | 2.71 grams of protein per day per capita | +5.9% |
| 1992 | 2.95 grams of protein per day per capita | +8.8% |
| 1993 | 3.39 grams of protein per day per capita | +15.2% |
| 1994 | 4.08 grams of protein per day per capita | +20.1% |
| 1995 | 4.7 grams of protein per day per capita | +15.2% |
| 1996 | 5.24 grams of protein per day per capita | +11.6% |
| 1997 | 5.25 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 5.43 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 5.56 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 5.78 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 5.65 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 5.82 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 6.06 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.1% |
| 2004 | 6.32 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.3% |
| 2005 | 6.48 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 6.72 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 7.09 grams of protein per day per capita | +5.4% |
| 2008 | 7.48 grams of protein per day per capita | +5.6% |
| 2009 | 7.75 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 8.17 grams of protein per day per capita | +5.4% |
| 2011 | 8.32 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 8.46 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 8.82 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 9.24 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 9.6 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 9.61 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 9.78 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 9.81 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 10.16 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 10.27 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 10.37 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 10.38 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 10.4 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 10.4 grams of protein per day per capita is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.58 grams of protein per day per capita, 2.9× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 10.4 grams of protein per day per capita is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 10.24 grams of protein per day per capita, 1.0× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Animal protein consumption 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | +34.8% | 1.11 grams of protein per day per capita | 1.49 grams of protein per day per capita |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.45 grams of protein per day per capita | 1.11 grams of protein per day per capita | 1.57 grams of protein per day per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.37 grams of protein per day per capita | 1.14 grams of protein per day per capita | 1.65 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.68 grams of protein per day per capita | 1.14 grams of protein per day per capita | 2.46 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.19 grams of protein per day per capita | 2.56 grams of protein per day per capita | 5.56 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.51 grams of protein per day per capita | 5.65 grams of protein per day per capita | 7.75 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.2 grams of protein per day per capita | 8.17 grams of protein per day per capita | 10.16 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.36 grams of protein per day per capita | 10.27 grams of protein per day per capita | 10.4 grams of protein per day per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 22 Bermuda 11.79 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 23 Vietnam 11.12 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 24 Spain 10.55 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 26 Solomon Islands 10.08 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 27 Thailand 9.62 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 28 Saint Kitts and Nevis 9.56 grams of protein per day per capita compare
More economy & growth data for China
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.46 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 157.21 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0081 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 111.77 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 79.98 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 87.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0041 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 56.86 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 8.47 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is animal protein consumption in China?
- Animal protein consumption in China was 10.4 grams of protein 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 animal protein consumption recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 10.4 grams of protein per day per capita in 2023.
- What is the lowest animal protein consumption recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.11 grams of protein per day per capita in 1961.
- How does China rank for animal protein consumption?
- China ranks 25th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is animal protein consumption rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.9%. 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) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Animal protein consumption. 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
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.