Are Armenians Meat Lovers Compared to Other Nations?

In Armenia, almost everyone knows that Armenians love meat. No celebration or gathering is complete without a lavish table covered with a wide variety of meat dishes. Weddings, birthdays, and even simple family get-togethers often turn into true competitions of Armenian meat cuisine masterpieces.

Being one of the world’s oldest cuisines, Armenian cooking is heavily based on meat. The wide assortment of barbecues, varieties of dolma, kebabs, different types of kufte, khash, khashlama, harisa, and dried or smoked meat appetizers such as basturma, sujuk, and apukht are ever-present on Armenian tables.

Interesting Facts

According to 2024 statistics, meat consumption per capita in Armenia was as follows:

23.9 kg of beef
13.1 kg of pork
3.7 kg of lamb
21.1 kg of poultry

On average, an Armenian consumes about 61.8 kg of meat annually, with beef being the most preferred type.

Now, let’s see how this compares to other nations.

In Georgia, the average annual meat consumption per capita is around 45 kg, mostly poultry. In other words, Armenia is undoubtedly more meat-loving than Georgia.

However, the countries that consume the most meat are not necessarily the most developed.

Top Meat-Consuming Countries

The top meat-consuming country in the world is Tonga, with 148 kg per capita per year (of which only 14 kg is beef; the preferred meat is pork). Next come:

Mongolia – 132 kg (preferred meat: lamb)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – 124 kg
The United States – 123 kg (preferred meat: poultry)
Argentina – 113 kg (preferred meat: beef)
Israel – 113 kg (preferred meat: poultry)

Countries That Love Beef the Most

In terms of beef consumption, the leading countries are:

Argentina – 46 kg
Zimbabwe – 44.4 kg
The United States – 38 kg
Israel – 36.1 kg per capita

Where Does Armenia Rank?

Globally, Armenia ranks 87th in total meat consumption, behind countries such as Belarus, Latvia, the UAE, Russia, Kazakhstan, Estonia, and Cuba.

When it comes to beef preference, Armenia ranks 13th, ahead of many nations but behind Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Luxembourg, and Chad.

So next time you sit down at the table, remember — Armenians are not the biggest meat eaters in the world.

Written by Ashot Boghossian
For Mountain High Farms

Are Armenians Meat Lovers Compared to Other Nations?