How Much Chocolate is Consumed Per Year?

Chocolate is a product widely consumed by all generations worldwide. Chocolate is rich in fat, proteins, carbohydrates, and other bioactive compounds. Cocoa beans are the main ingredients used for the production of chocolate. Chocolate consumption has been scientifically linked to a longer life. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, eating a few pieces of chocolate every month makes your life sweeter and longer. Moreover, chocolate is considered a major source of dietary copper, which is important for a healthy lifestyle and is also consumed as a short-term source of energy due to the antioxidants and phenolics, and 40 grams of chocolate contains the same amount of phenol as a glass of red wine contains and is a positive source of dietary antioxidants. The global chocolate market is growing at a robust growth rate of more than 6%, per the research done by RationalStat. Further, the global consumption of chocolate was 8 million tons in 2021 and per capita chocolate consumption is estimated at 0.9 kg per year.

Chocolate consumption and production

Ivory Coast and Ghana in Western Africa are the largest cocoa-producing countries in the world. However, Europe is the largest producer and exporter of chocolate globally. A whopping 85% of European chocolate consumed annually comes from West Africa. There have recently been initiatives to start a fair-trade movement, which would promote buying cocoa from growers in underdeveloped nations at a fair price.  All countries are not able to enjoy the sweet taste of chocolate equally, there is a deep separation between those nations that extract the raw material and those that indulge in the finished products.

The Countries with the highest chocolate consumption are in Europe

The top four countries responsible for the production of chocolate are the US, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium. Western Europe accounts for around 35% of total world chocolate production, the US accounts for around 30%, and the rest 35% of chocolate production comes from the rest of the world. Germany is leading the global chocolate market with a remarkable yearly per capita consumption of around 11 kg in 2021. Toblerone and Lindt are two of the most renowned brands in the country's chocolate industry. With around 5.5 kg per person, neighbouring Switzerland is also very high on the list, while the average annual chocolate consumption in the US is over 9 kilograms and, India and China are at the other end of the spectrum, with per-capita consumption of just 1.0 and 0.2 kg, respectively.

The European chocolate market was valued at US$ 45 billion in 2021. The largest chocolate production sector in Europe is located in Germany. Moreover, Germany is the world's leading exporter of chocolate since a considerable portion of the country's chocolate production is exported. Other European nations, particularly France, Poland, and the UK, are the primary destination markets for German chocolate products. German exports of chocolate are expected to reach a value of US$ 4.5 billion in 2021 and 17% of global exports.

To know more about the current market scenario, review our report on Global Chocolate Market or request a sample.