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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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?
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