Meat consumption in Belgium fell below 80 kilograms per inhabitant in 2023, according to Belgian statistical office Statbel. For the first time in several years, pork made up less than half of this consumption.
Statbel refers to this measure as "apparent meat consumption," as it does not reflect the actual meat intake per Belgian resident but rather the amount of meat available on the market.
In 2023, over 930,000 tons of carcass weight was available, equivalent to 79.6 kilograms per inhabitant, a decrease of 1.2 kilograms compared to 2022.
While pork remains the most popular meat choice, its "apparent consumption" dropped by over 6% to 38.7 kilograms per inhabitant. This marks the first time since 2010 that pork accounted for less than half of the total meat supply.
Conversely, consumers appear to be opting for poultry, such as chicken, with its "apparent consumption" increasing by almost 4% to 16.4 kilograms per inhabitant.
Poultry has also been more popular than beef and veal for several years now. The latter stood at 14.6 kilograms per inhabitant in 2023.
