Animal protein consumption in Ireland
Ireland: Animal protein consumption was 5 grams of protein per day per capita in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
5 grams of protein per day per capita
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
84th
of 192 countries
All-time high
6.66 grams of protein per day per capita
in 2017
All-time low
1.83 grams of protein per day per capita
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Animal protein consumption in Ireland, 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
In 2023, animal protein consumption in Ireland stood at 5 grams of protein per day per capita.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, animal protein consumption in Ireland peaked at 6.66 grams of protein per day per capita in 2017 and was at its lowest, 1.83 grams of protein per day per capita, in 1961.
Ireland ranks 84th of 192 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Animal protein consumption in Ireland, year by year
| Year | grams of protein per day per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.83 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1962 | 1.9 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.8% |
| 1963 | 2.15 grams of protein per day per capita | +13.2% |
| 1964 | 2.27 grams of protein per day per capita | +5.6% |
| 1965 | 2.72 grams of protein per day per capita | +19.7% |
| 1966 | 2.64 grams of protein per day per capita | -3.1% |
| 1967 | 2.78 grams of protein per day per capita | +5.6% |
| 1968 | 2.46 grams of protein per day per capita | -11.5% |
| 1969 | 2.58 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.6% |
| 1970 | 2.91 grams of protein per day per capita | +13.0% |
| 1971 | 2.55 grams of protein per day per capita | -12.3% |
| 1972 | 2.88 grams of protein per day per capita | +12.8% |
| 1973 | 2.4 grams of protein per day per capita | -16.7% |
| 1974 | 3.23 grams of protein per day per capita | +34.6% |
| 1975 | 3.43 grams of protein per day per capita | +6.3% |
| 1976 | 4.56 grams of protein per day per capita | +32.7% |
| 1977 | 3.82 grams of protein per day per capita | -16.2% |
| 1978 | 4.45 grams of protein per day per capita | +16.4% |
| 1979 | 2.98 grams of protein per day per capita | -32.9% |
| 1980 | 4.66 grams of protein per day per capita | +56.4% |
| 1981 | 3.94 grams of protein per day per capita | -15.4% |
| 1982 | 4.59 grams of protein per day per capita | +16.3% |
| 1983 | 3.69 grams of protein per day per capita | -19.6% |
| 1984 | 3.58 grams of protein per day per capita | -3.0% |
| 1985 | 4.25 grams of protein per day per capita | +18.9% |
| 1986 | 5.46 grams of protein per day per capita | +28.5% |
| 1987 | 4.9 grams of protein per day per capita | -10.4% |
| 1988 | 4.48 grams of protein per day per capita | -8.5% |
| 1989 | 4.28 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.4% |
| 1990 | 4.2 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 3.32 grams of protein per day per capita | -20.9% |
| 1992 | 4.13 grams of protein per day per capita | +24.2% |
| 1993 | 4.11 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 4.31 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.8% |
| 1995 | 5.66 grams of protein per day per capita | +31.4% |
| 1996 | 4.86 grams of protein per day per capita | -14.2% |
| 1997 | 5.72 grams of protein per day per capita | +17.6% |
| 1998 | 5.84 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 6.01 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 5.99 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 6.04 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 5.66 grams of protein per day per capita | -6.4% |
| 2003 | 5.41 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.4% |
| 2004 | 5.38 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 5.13 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.5% |
| 2006 | 4.99 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 5.4 grams of protein per day per capita | +8.2% |
| 2008 | 5.16 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.4% |
| 2009 | 5.02 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 5.52 grams of protein per day per capita | +10.0% |
| 2011 | 5.45 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 5.21 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 5.27 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 5.75 grams of protein per day per capita | +9.1% |
| 2015 | 5.9 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 5.99 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 6.66 grams of protein per day per capita | +11.2% |
| 2018 | 5.22 grams of protein per day per capita | -21.6% |
| 2019 | 5.26 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 5.21 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 5.16 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 5.08 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 5 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.6% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 5 grams of protein per day per capita is below the median for high income countries, which is 6.15 grams of protein per day per capita, 81% of the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 5 grams of protein per day per capita is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.81 grams of protein per day per capita, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Animal protein consumption in Ireland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +56.4% | 2.98 grams of protein per day per capita | 4.66 grams of protein per day per capita |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.37 grams of protein per day per capita | 1.83 grams of protein per day per capita | 2.78 grams of protein per day per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.32 grams of protein per day per capita | 2.4 grams of protein per day per capita | 4.56 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.38 grams of protein per day per capita | 3.58 grams of protein per day per capita | 5.46 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.82 grams of protein per day per capita | 3.32 grams of protein per day per capita | 6.01 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.42 grams of protein per day per capita | 4.99 grams of protein per day per capita | 6.04 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.62 grams of protein per day per capita | 5.21 grams of protein per day per capita | 6.66 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.11 grams of protein per day per capita | 5 grams of protein per day per capita | 5.21 grams of protein per day per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 81 Cameroon 5.16 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 82 Netherlands 5.16 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 83 Bahrain 5.13 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 85 United Kingdom 5 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 86 Canada 4.97 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 87 Trinidad and Tobago 4.91 grams of protein per day per capita compare
More economy & growth data for Ireland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.96 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 67.14 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.1102 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 12,444 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 4.82 billion BoP, current US$ (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 103.44 % change on previous year (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0079 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 893.09 BoP, current US$ per person (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 7.57 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is animal protein consumption in Ireland?
- Animal protein consumption in Ireland was 5 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 6.66 grams of protein per day per capita in 2017.
- What is the lowest animal protein consumption recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.83 grams of protein per day per capita in 1961.
- How does Ireland rank for animal protein consumption?
- Ireland ranks 84th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is animal protein consumption rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland 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.