Study reveals world's biggest eaters - but where does the UK rank?
10 July 2023, 20:04
A definitive list of the world's biggest eaters has been revealed - and the nation consuming the most calories may surprise you.
Compiled by Oxford University scientists at OurWorldInData, the list uses statistics released by the United Nations.
Statistics show that more than two thirds of people in the United States are now overweight or obese, however, to the surprise of many, the nation does not rank top of the list.
Despite its reputation for super-size portions and the average American consuming 3,868 calories every day, the US only ranks as the second-highest calorie consumer in the world.
The Middle East takes the top spot according to Bahrain, in the Middle East, where people consumed more than 4,000 calories per day on average.
Breaking down the list of 185 countries, Ireland ranks third, consuming 3,851 calories per person, per day on average.
Meanwhile, Belgium comes in fourth consuming 3,824 calories, Turkey in fifth with 3,762 and Austrians consuming on average 3,739 calories every day.
With Romania topping off the Top 10 with 3,600 calories, France, the home of the French fry, comes in 11th with 3,582 calories, with poutine-loving Canadians consuming 3,569 calories.
The United Kingdom, however, ranks down in 26th, consuming an average of 3,423 calories per day.
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Footing the list is the Central African Republic, with residents consuming 1,642 calories - under half of the top ranking nation Bahrain.
A number of African nations find themselves at the bottom of the list, with Rwanda, the Congo and Mozambique featuring among the bottom 15 countries.
The world's biggest eaters by country - based on average calories consumed per person each day
- Bahrain 4,012
- United States 3,868
- Ireland 3,851
- Belgium 3,824
- Turkey 3,762
- Austria 3,739
- Germany 3,648
- Italy 3,621
- Qatar 3,609
- Romania 3,600
- France 3,582
- Israel 3,570
- Canada 3,569
- Poland 3,539
- Algeria 3,519
- Luxembourg 3,497
- Portugal 3,489
- Norway 3,473
- Montenegro 3,469
- Netherlands 3,460
- Serbia 3,460
- Tunisia 3,449
- Lebanon 3,444
- Denmark 3,433
- United Kingdom 3,423
- Moldova 3,418
- Russia 3,414
- Switzerland 3,405
- Iceland 3,405
- South Korea 3,405
- Australia 3,399
- Armenia 3,396
- Kuwait 3,388
- Czechia 3,387
- China 3,378
- Kazakhstan 3,377
- Morocco 3,374
- Finland 3,370
- Oman 3,369
- Azerbaijan 3,366
- Lithuania 3,357
- Argentina 3,350
- Cuba 3,347
- Brazil 3,333
- Hungary 3,321
- Albania 3,314
- Spain 3,311
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 3,310
- Greece 3,309
- Bhutan 3,283
- United Arab Emirates 3,276
- Uzbekistan 3,269
- Belarus 3,250
- Mexico 3,248
- Uruguay 3,246
- Libya 3,241
- Georgia 3,223
- Latvia 3,210
- Saudi Arabia 3,203
- Hong Kong 3,197
- Estonia 3,168
- Croatia 3,167
- Sweden 3,167
- Egypt 3,167
- Guyana 3,131
- Chile 3,124
- North Macedonia 3,118
- Slovenia 3,097
- Ghana 3,089
- Barbados 3,081
- New Zealand 3,062
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3,056
- Vietnam 3,026
- Costa Rica 3,015
- Mauritania 3,013
- Cyprus 3,012
- Slovakia 3,006
- Macao 2,996
- Panama 2,994
- Mauritius 2,994
- Paraguay 2,986
- Taiwan 2,984
- Iran 2,972
- Ukraine 2,967
- Colombia 2,957
- Seychelles 2,952
- Mongolia 2,946
- Indonesia 2,942
- Dominican Republic 2,940
- Malaysia 2,934
- Cote d'Ivoire 2,929
- Dominica 2,927
- Myanmar 2,924
- Kiribati 2,907
- New Caledonia 2,899
- South Africa 2,882
- Bulgaria 2,881
- Nepal 2,877
- Malta 2,877
- Samoa 2,857
- Guinea 2,854
- Fiji 2,832.
- Jamaica 2,825
- Cambodia 2,824
- Micronesia (country) 2,820
- Peru 2,816
- Sri Lanka 2,805
- Cameroon 2,800
- Saint Kitts and Nevis 2,799
- Philippines 2,790
- Thailand 2,788
- Belize 2,787
- Senegal 2,786
- Mali 2,782
- Tajikistan 2,780
- Turkmenistan 2,778
- Vanuatu 2,770
- El Salvador 2,768
- French Polynesia 2,765
- Laos 2,755
- Nauru 2,742
- Kyrgyzstan 2,738
- Benin 2,730
- Trinidad and Tobago 2,727
- Japan 2,705
- Guatemala 2,699
- Saint Lucia 2,694
- Burkina Faso 2,664
- Suriname 2,663
- Honduras 2,627
- Malawi 2,626
- Nicaragua 2,616
- Niger 2,615
- Namibia 2,603
- Sudan 2,570
- India 2,569
- Nigeria 2,560
- Antigua and Barbuda 2,557
- Djibouti 2,541
- Eswatini 2,536
- Gabon 2,535
- Bangladesh 2,533
- Comoros 2,506
- Ecuador 2,497
- Cape Verde 2,493
- Togo 2,463l
- Bahamas 2,446
- Bolivia 2,430
- Sao Tome and Principe 2,424
- Syria 2,418
- Pakistan 2,401
- Botswana 2,397
- Maldives 2,370
- Gambia 2,368
- Ethiopia 2,361
- Angola 2,350
- Solomon Islands 2,341
- Tanzania 2,318
- Jordan 2,308l
- Grenada 2,307
- East Timor 2,296
- Venezuela 2,282
- Uganda 2,278
- Zambia 2,276
- Kenya 2,268
- Sierra Leone 2,262
- South Sudan 2,253
- Afghanistan 2,237
- Chad 2,217
- Rwanda 2,190
- Guinea-Bissau 2,188
- Iraq 2,179
- Congo 2,148
- Haiti 2,110
- Liberia 2,098
- Papua New Guinea 2,085
- North Korea 2,070
- Mozambique 2,053
- Democratic Republic of Congo 1,996
- Yemen 1,958
- Lesotho 1,922
- Zimbabwe 1,853
- Madagascar 1,771
- Burundi 1,697
- Central African Republic 1,642
