Animal protein consumption in South Africa
South Africa: Animal protein consumption was 1.53 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.53
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
156th
of 192 countries
All-time high
4.47
in 1975
All-time low
1.46
in 2020
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Animal protein consumption in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, animal protein consumption in South Africa stood at 1.53.
That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and down 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, animal protein consumption in South Africa peaked at 4.47 in 1975 and was at its lowest, 1.46, in 2020.
That places South Africa 156th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Animal protein consumption in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.71 | — |
| 1962 | 2.65 | -2.3% |
| 1963 | 2.57 | -3.2% |
| 1964 | 2.6 | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 3.27 | +25.9% |
| 1966 | 3.23 | -1.2% |
| 1967 | 3.65 | +13.1% |
| 1968 | 2.78 | -23.8% |
| 1969 | 2.73 | -2.0% |
| 1970 | 3.27 | +19.9% |
| 1971 | 3.04 | -7.1% |
| 1972 | 3.05 | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 3.81 | +25.2% |
| 1974 | 3.91 | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 4.47 | +14.4% |
| 1976 | 3.29 | -26.3% |
| 1977 | 3.09 | -6.3% |
| 1978 | 3.07 | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 2.89 | -5.7% |
| 1980 | 2.62 | -9.4% |
| 1981 | 3.21 | +22.6% |
| 1982 | 2.29 | -28.9% |
| 1983 | 2.43 | +6.2% |
| 1984 | 2.48 | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 2.15 | -13.5% |
| 1986 | 2.13 | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 2.63 | +23.8% |
| 1988 | 2.78 | +5.7% |
| 1989 | 2.48 | -10.9% |
| 1990 | 2.73 | +10.1% |
| 1991 | 2.15 | -21.1% |
| 1992 | 2.59 | +20.2% |
| 1993 | 2.55 | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 1.86 | -27.1% |
| 1995 | 2.43 | +30.4% |
| 1996 | 1.71 | -29.5% |
| 1997 | 2.28 | +33.4% |
| 1998 | 1.78 | -22.0% |
| 1999 | 1.83 | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 1.81 | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 2.09 | +15.4% |
| 2002 | 2.06 | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 2.09 | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 2.85 | +36.7% |
| 2005 | 2.44 | -14.6% |
| 2006 | 2.2 | -9.7% |
| 2007 | 2.16 | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 2.02 | -6.7% |
| 2009 | 1.51 | -25.3% |
| 2010 | 1.7 | +12.9% |
| 2011 | 1.56 | -8.2% |
| 2012 | 2.18 | +39.7% |
| 2013 | 1.81 | -17.0% |
| 2014 | 1.98 | +9.4% |
| 2015 | 1.8 | -9.1% |
| 2016 | 1.68 | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 1.76 | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 2.14 | +21.6% |
| 2019 | 1.77 | -17.3% |
| 2020 | 1.46 | -17.5% |
| 2021 | 1.58 | +8.2% |
| 2022 | 1.55 | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 1.53 | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.91 | 2.57 | 3.65 | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.39 | 2.89 | 4.47 | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.52 | 2.13 | 3.21 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.19 | 1.71 | 2.73 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.12 | 1.51 | 2.85 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.84 | 1.56 | 2.18 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.53 | 1.46 | 1.58 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.8659 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant 2015 US$), per capita 5,713 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU), annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU), per unit of GDP 11.04 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- GDP (constant LCU), per capita 72,846 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), annual growth rate 0.5972 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross domestic savings (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1528 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is animal protein consumption in South Africa?
- Animal protein consumption in South Africa was 1.53 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest animal protein consumption recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4.47 in 1975.
- What is the lowest animal protein consumption recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.46 in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for animal protein consumption?
- South Africa ranks 156th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is animal protein consumption rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from 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).