China's animal protein consumption rising

China's pork consumption is outperforming other types of animal protein, according to the country's household survey--a result that seems inconsistent with depressed prices in the country's pork industry.

The survey data from 2013 to 2022 show a dip in pork consumption during 2020 when China had a severe pork shortage due to an African swine fever outbreak. Then pork consumption snapped back in 2021 as the sector recovered and rose even higher in 2022--a year when much of the country was under lockdown. The recent strong growth contrasts with flat consumption from 2013 to 2018.

Source: China national household survey data compiled from China Statistical Yearbooks.

China's consumption of other animal proteins is generally on the rise too, but quantities are smaller than for pork. 

• Poultry consumption rose by 3.7 kg/person in 2020 as consumers sought out substitutes for expensive pork that year. Since then poultry consumption has dropped by 1 kg but is still higher than any year before 2020.
• Egg consumption also had a strong 3-kg bump during 2018-20 and kept growing during 2021-22. 
• Fish and shellfish consumption increased 2.2 kg in 2020 and has plateaued since then. 
• Dairy consumption doesn't show much of a trend. Dairy spiked in 2021 and dropped in 2022. 
• Per-capita consumption of beef and mutton is still low and on a pretty steady rising trend.

In the overall consumption picture, 

• Consumption of meat/eggs/fish/dairy rose from about 60 kg to 83 kg between 2013 and 2021, then dropped to 82 kg in 2022. 
• Consumption of cereals was 123.7 kg and consumption of vegetables was 108.2 kg in 2022. 
• The declining trend in consumption of cereal grains reversed, rising by 13.5 kg during 2019-21 then dropped by 6.4 kg in 2022. 
• Vegetable consumption rose about 10 kg from 2019 to 2021, then dipped slightly in 2022.

Source: China national household survey data compiled from China Statistical Yearbooks

Rural households appear to have caught up with urban households in consumption of pork, poultry, and eggs during 2021-22. Rural consumption of pork actually outpaced urban consumption in 2022. Rural consumption of fish and beef/mutton is still lower than that of their urban cousins. 

Source: China national household survey data compiled from China Statistical Yearbooks

These numbers should be interpreted with caution since the household survey has historically been inconsistent with aggregate production data. The survey only records purchases for at-home consumption--it excludes consumption in cafeterias and restaurants. Lockdowns during most of 2022, cessation of travel, and closure of cafeterias and restaurants may have boosted at-home consumption, but there were extended times when Chinese residents couldn't even go to markets to buy food either. The survey is based on detailed diaries of all food purchased/consumed by a large sample of households--did they keep up this activity during the months of lockdowns in their homes or quarantine hotels?