Transparency: Which Countries Eat the Most Meat
- Posted by: GOOD , Frank DeRose
- on September 15, 2009 at 3:42 pm
An increase in the consumption of meat is directly correlated to an increase in a country’s economic development. As a country becomes richer, its citizens generally eat more meat, a much denser source of protein than is available in poorer countries. But the range of the amount of meat eaten in different countries around the world is truly astounding, from barely enough for a few hamburgers to the weight of several people. Our latest Transparency is a look at which countries are eating the most meat every year, on a per capita basis, and which are eating the least.
UPDATE: We’ve changed some of the colors on this piece to make it more readable. You can see the original version here.
For a full list of countries by meat consumption, going back to 1961, click here (Via the Guardian Data Blog).
A collaboration between GOOD and Zut Alors, Inc.
DISCUSSION: 9 Comments
And Argentina is not there?
This can’t be right. Argentina should be there… we eat tons of meat, and we produce lots of it too.
What a poor way to represent interesting data. Should I really have to zoom just to read a chart?
Interesting data but agree with novafire about the “interactivity”.
Seems GOOD’s interactive designers have the day off. Also think it’s
incredibly weird that men, women, 1-year old children and skulls are portrayed in the list of “edible things”. WTF?
This article is good but needs more research… according to La Nacion (Argentinian Newspaper) an Argentinian adult consumes an average between 60 and 70 kilograms of beef per year… and is not there… mmm…
Not at all what I had in mind..the whole thing just falls apart doesn’t it? The first three are relatively wealthy and affluent, then it goes any which way from there. Greenland? Do Eskimos raise their own cows now?The bottom 10 are more predictable but yeah, hate this zoom-in cow chart.
So basically what this poll is saying is that a countries economic development is directly correlated to it’s output of carbon emissions. You couldn’t have said it better had you tried.
Would love to see the long list!
You haven’t taken into accout the population of vegetarians who,for more than one reason,abstain from meat.I’m not a vegetarian.I just believe it it’s ignorant of you not to include them.A lot of people in other countries wouldn’t eat meat even if they could afford to.As for your opening statement…most people in America who have at least an eight grade education already kinow that.Your cow chart is impossible to read.Fortunately,there are symbols so i have at least a vague understaning of your findings.