Per Capita Pork Consumption

Over the past decade, per capita pork consumption fell from 21.5 kilograms in 2011 to 18.9 kilograms in 2021. This decline is primarily the result of increased public awareness of the medical risks associated with red meat consumption. Furthermore, the use of corn ethanol has increased the price of animal feed in recent years, causing the prices of many red meat products to increase as well. Pork consumption also decreased significantly during the global financial crisis, when declining income levels and increased consumer uncertainty caused many Canadians to reduce their consumption of relatively expensive groceries, such as pork. This trend repeated amid the global COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downfall, with a 15.0% decline in per capita pork consumption in 2020 alone. In recent years, however, some cuts of pork that are considered relatively lean meats have grown in popularity. Nevertheless, driven by pandemic-related declines, per capita pork consumption is estimated to slump until 2023. 2023 and 2024 exhibited strong growth due to high prices and greater inflation of the competing meats. IBISWorld expects growth to decline in 2025.