Animal protein consumption in United States
United States: Animal protein consumption was 4.68 grams of protein per day per capita in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
4.68 grams of protein per day per capita
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
91st
of 192 countries
All-time high
5.63 grams of protein per day per capita
in 2004
All-time low
2.93 grams of protein per day per capita
in 1967
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Animal protein consumption in United States, 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
The most recent figure for animal protein consumption in United States is 4.68 grams of protein per day per capita, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and up 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, animal protein consumption in United States peaked at 5.63 grams of protein per day per capita in 2004 and was at its lowest, 2.93 grams of protein per day per capita, in 1967.
United States ranks 91st 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 United States, year by year
| Year | grams of protein per day per capita | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.07 grams of protein per day per capita | — |
| 1962 | 3.17 grams of protein per day per capita | +3.1% |
| 1963 | 3.04 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.1% |
| 1964 | 2.99 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 3.12 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.5% |
| 1966 | 3.34 grams of protein per day per capita | +7.0% |
| 1967 | 2.93 grams of protein per day per capita | -12.4% |
| 1968 | 3.24 grams of protein per day per capita | +10.6% |
| 1969 | 3.11 grams of protein per day per capita | -3.9% |
| 1970 | 3.4 grams of protein per day per capita | +9.4% |
| 1971 | 3.16 grams of protein per day per capita | -7.2% |
| 1972 | 3.56 grams of protein per day per capita | +12.8% |
| 1973 | 3.64 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 3.48 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.5% |
| 1975 | 3.12 grams of protein per day per capita | -10.1% |
| 1976 | 3.78 grams of protein per day per capita | +20.8% |
| 1977 | 3.6 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.8% |
| 1978 | 3.8 grams of protein per day per capita | +5.6% |
| 1979 | 3.76 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 3.71 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 3.85 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 3.69 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.2% |
| 1983 | 3.92 grams of protein per day per capita | +6.2% |
| 1984 | 4.15 grams of protein per day per capita | +5.9% |
| 1985 | 4.24 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 4.34 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 4.76 grams of protein per day per capita | +9.8% |
| 1988 | 4.37 grams of protein per day per capita | -8.3% |
| 1989 | 5.12 grams of protein per day per capita | +17.1% |
| 1990 | 4.87 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.8% |
| 1991 | 4.8 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 4.9 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 5.11 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.3% |
| 1994 | 5.02 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 5.06 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 4.81 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.9% |
| 1997 | 4.83 grams of protein per day per capita | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 5.06 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 5.11 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 5.07 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 4.82 grams of protein per day per capita | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 5.07 grams of protein per day per capita | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 5.42 grams of protein per day per capita | +6.9% |
| 2004 | 5.63 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 5.43 grams of protein per day per capita | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 5.53 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 5.22 grams of protein per day per capita | -5.6% |
| 2008 | 5.14 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 5.02 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 4.5 grams of protein per day per capita | -10.4% |
| 2011 | 4.56 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 4.47 grams of protein per day per capita | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 4.44 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 4.52 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 4.57 grams of protein per day per capita | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 4.51 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 4.72 grams of protein per day per capita | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 4.66 grams of protein per day per capita | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 4.76 grams of protein per day per capita | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 4.74 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 4.73 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 4.71 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 4.68 grams of protein per day per capita | -0.6% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 4.68 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, 76% of the median. (63 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.11 grams of protein per day per capita | 2.93 grams of protein per day per capita | 3.34 grams of protein per day per capita | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.53 grams of protein per day per capita | 3.12 grams of protein per day per capita | 3.8 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.22 grams of protein per day per capita | 3.69 grams of protein per day per capita | 5.12 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.96 grams of protein per day per capita | 4.8 grams of protein per day per capita | 5.11 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.24 grams of protein per day per capita | 4.82 grams of protein per day per capita | 5.63 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.57 grams of protein per day per capita | 4.44 grams of protein per day per capita | 4.76 grams of protein per day per capita | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.71 grams of protein per day per capita | 4.68 grams of protein per day per capita | 4.74 grams of protein per day per capita | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 88 Suriname 4.83 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 89 Cyprus 4.76 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 90 Moldova 4.75 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 92 Ukraine 4.59 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 93 Panama 4.52 grams of protein per day per capita compare
- 94 Tunisia 4.52 grams of protein per day per capita compare
More economy & growth data for United States
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -24.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.63 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.12 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0057 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 509.07 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -0.7205 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0041 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 371.72 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 0.9623 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is animal protein consumption in United States?
- Animal protein consumption in United States was 4.68 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 5.63 grams of protein per day per capita in 2004.
- What is the lowest animal protein consumption recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.93 grams of protein per day per capita in 1967.
- How does United States rank for animal protein consumption?
- United States ranks 91st out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is animal protein consumption rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.