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The Countries That Consume the Most Peanut Butter Per Capita
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Key Takeaways
- African nations are major peanut producers and consumers, though the product used is different from the processed variety on Western supermarket shelves.
- China dominates total consumption with 4 million tonnes consumed, but ranks fourth per-capita.
- Canada and the Netherlands are among the highest per-capita consumers globally, with Canada actually exceeding U.S. consumption rates.
Peanut butter may feel quintessentially American, yet the latest per-capita ranking tells a different story. As the graphic above, by Made Visual Daily, shows, West African and Southeast Asian countries dominate the leaderboard, while the United States sits mid-pack.
For context, Americans still eat vast absolute volumes—about 694,000 tonnes—but when population is factored in, they trail 10 other nations.
| Country | Per Capita (kg) | Tonnage (tonnes) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
 Burkina Faso |
6.4 | 153,000 | 24,100,000 |
 Myanmar |
6.0 | 330,000 | 54,800,000 |
 Chad |
4.0 | 84,000 | 21,000,000 |
 China |
2.8 | 3,958,000 | 1,416,000,000 |
 Niger |
2.7 | 76,000 | 27,900,000 |
 Sudan |
2.6 | 135,000 | 51,600,000 |
 Tanzania |
2.4 | 170,000 | 70,500,000 |
 Netherlands |
2.4 | 43,920 | 18,300,000 |
 Belgium |
2.3 | 27,140 | 11,800,000 |
 Argentina |
2.1 | 95,000 | 45,900,000 |
 United States |
2.0 | 694,000 | 347,000,000 |
 Cameroon |
1.9 | 57,000 | 29,900,000 |
 Russia |
1.8 | 259,200 | 144,000,000 |
 Austria |
1.6 | 14,560 | 9,100,000 |
 Canada |
1.4 | 53,200 | 38,000,000 |
 United Kingdom |
1.3 | 90,480 | 69,600,000 |
 India |
1.1 | 1,539,000 | 1,464,000,000 |
 Nigeria |
1.0 | 245,000 | 237,000,000 |
 Brazil |
0.7 | 165,000 | 212,000,000 |
 Bangladesh |
0.2 | 39,000 | 175,700,000 |
 Vietnam |
0.2 | 16,000 | 101,600,000 |
 South Africa |
0.1 | 6,000 | 64,700,000 |
 Indonesia |
0.1 | 20,000 | 285,000,000 |
 Mexico |
0.02 | 2,000 | 131,900,000 |
 Japan |
0.01 | 1,000 | 124,000,000 |
Why West Africa Tops the Chart
West African countries harvest a lot of peanuts domestically, and ground-nut spreads are a dietary staple across the Sahel.
In Burkina Faso, Chad, and Niger, peanut sauce accompanies everything from rice to fufu, pushing average consumption well past Western levels. The affordability and long shelf-life of peanut butter also make it a valuable protein source in regions where refrigeration is limited.
The North American Perspective
Americans still rank among the world leaders in total tonnage, yet per-capita intake is only one-third of Burkina Faso’s. Growing competition from almond and sunflower spreads, plus shifting dietary trends, appear to be capping further gains at home.
Americans consumed a record 4.4 lbs (2 kg) per capita in recent years, with Canada coming just below at 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg) per capita.
Market Trends and Future Outlook
The peanut butter market has shown steady growth, with revenue increasing from $5.1 billion in 2022 to $5.6 billion in 2024.
This growth reflects both population increases and rising per-capita consumption in various markets worldwide.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
Interested in what countries can hold their own in terms of of food production? Check out our rankings of the top 50 most food self-sufficient countries on Voronoi.
- Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/charted-peanut-butter-consumption-per-capita-by-country/
