Per capita sugar and sweetener consumption

Per capita sugar and sweetener consumption peaked in 1999 but began to slowly decrease in the early 2000s due to an increase in health awareness and substantial rises in the price of corn. Increased ethanol production caused by high oil prices generated substantial demand for corn, which, in turn, drove up the price for all corn products. As corn sweeteners increased in price, consumption moved toward cane and beet sugar. As a result, corn sweetener consumption has fallen every year since 2003, while sugar consumption rose in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2010. Consumers have shifted their preferences away from glucose and dextrose corn sweeteners, with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption declining each year from a peak of 63.8 in 1999.

At the same time, caloric sweeteners are a staple; therefore, overall consumption is fairly stable. However, as health consciousness has increased in recent decades, demand for many sugar-based products has declined. Many food manufacturers, to appeal to health-conscious consumers, have either curbed or eliminated their use of some sugars in their products, notably HFCS (a manufactured from of corn starch).

In 2008, high oil prices tempered ethanol demand, due to some consumers limiting their oil consumption (gasoline is typically derived from blending ethanol with oil). Ultimately, this led to lower corn product prices, raising caloric sweetener consumption in 2008 to 137.2 pounds per person. The same factor caused per capita consumption to rise in 2010. However, the relationship between oil and demand for ethanol, which indirectly affects sugar prices, is also linked to harvest yields. For example, if corn producers harvest a surplus of corn, thus resulting in supply exceeding demand, then corn prices may decline. As a result, prices for corn derivative products, including HFCS, will likely decline as well. Overall, per capita sugar and sweetener consumption has largely trended downward since the 2009 recession. With economic growth accelerating in recent years, however, this slightly reversed. Additionally, consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious and consuming less sweetened products. This led to declines in 2016 and 2017.

Despite a long-term decline, sweetener consumption increased 0.2% in 2020 and 0.4% in 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns increased snack food consumption, including sweets. Following the pandemic period however, consumption declined as individuals returned to their routines. As a result, over the five years to 2025, the driver is expected to decrease at an annualized rate of 0.9%.