Why China’s Meat Consumption is Changing

China is eating more meat:

China’s New Consumers

Bloomberg projects that China’s annual birth and marriage rate will continue declining. With an aging demographic and fewer babies, their demand for everyday goods and services will also shift. In a list of goods and services, they tell us that a lower birth rate will diminish demand for “youth-driven” products like baby milk and soda. By contrast, an aging population will want more insurance, wealth products, and premium alcoholic drinks.

We can assume that red means less, green, more, and yellow, neutral:

Our Bottom Line: Meat and Wealth

Age and wealth affect China’s meat consumption.

Age

Researchers tell us that meat consumption peaks when a population’s median age touches the mid-forties. Not there yet at 41.3 years in 2024, it is likely that China will continue eating more meat. In seven out of 10 of the world’s high median age countries, meat consumption is either down or stagnant. Meat eating in Germany, for example, peaked in 2011 when the median age was 43.6. Now, at 47.8 their median age, Germany’s meat consumption shrunk by 17.6 percent between 2011 and 2024.

Displaying an inverse correlation, as median age declines, the meat consumption trend rises:

Wealth

Meat consumption also increases with national wealth. In developing nations, the climb to affluence is usually accompanied by accelerated meat consumption.

With low income countries far below and to the left of a wealthier world, the correlation is clear:

Gender

But perhaps most interesting, a recent study connected gender equality, wealth, and meat consumption. They concluded that in developed nations with more gender equality, men tend to eat meat more often than women.

My sources and more: Through our new Bloomberg Lab at my school, I looked at their comments on the Chinese consumer in the 75 pages of “China’s Demographic Shift: From Cradle to Career.” That took me to meat and articles I could share, here and here. Next, for still more, you might enjoy (as did I) seeing the type of meat eaten by each country from the Visual Capitalist. And finally, this econlife looked at the significance of beer and rice in China.