According to a survey carried out by ProdegeMR in July 2020, some 48 percent of Canadian respondents stated that they eat meat or meat containing products on a daily basis. Around 7.5 percent of respondents claimed to never eat such products.

In 2020, consumption of beef per capita amounted to around 27.5 kilograms in Canada. This figure decreased to 26.1 kilograms in 2021 before increasing slightly in 2022. This expected decrease follows a long-term downward trend: in the year 1980, consumption per capita was 38.8 kilograms.

Why is beef consumption declining?

Whilst almost 50 percent of Canadian consume meat or meat containing products daily, a fair share of consumers are also reducing or eliminating meat entirely from their diet according to a recent generational survey. It was revealed that some 33 percent of Baby Boomers and 29 percent of Millennials were working towards eating less meat or a completely meat-free diet. Additionally, some Canadians are actively avoiding specifically beef and other red meat in their diets. Females aged over 55 are the demographic most likely to be avoiding such foods, followed by females aged between 18 and 34. Leading motives given for reducing or stopping beef consumption completely include financial, health and food safety and environmental reasons.

Chicken was the most consumed meat in Canada in 2022. Canadians were consuming on average 78 pounds of the white meat per capita in this year. Chicken consumption has risen by almost 20 pounds per capita since 1998. Beef and pork consumption, on the other hand, have generally decreased in recent years, amounting to 38.56 and 33.79 pounds per capita respectively in 2022.

Canadian chicken market

The volume of chicken produced in recent years reflects Canadians growing love of the meat. Production reached an all-time high in 2022, with around 1.34 million metric tons of chicken produced in Canada. Whilst production and consumption have increased, average annual household expenditure on chicken has fluctuated. Spending hit a high of 266 Canadian dollars per household in 2015 and has since decreased to 230 dollars. This suggests that whilst Canadians are eating more chicken, they are purchasing cheaper cuts or varieties. Saskatchewan is the province where consumers are most likely to actively include chicken and poultry in their diet, whilst those in Quebec are most likely to avoid white meat.

Older Canadian consumers are the more likely they are trying to eat healthy food. In 2022, approximately 63 percent of survey respondents between 50 and 59 years-of-age stated that they actively try to eat healthy. The data displayed here aggregates four surveys carried out during 2022.

When asked which groceries they consume regularly, 36 percent of responding male consumers in Canada said they eat ice cream regularly. The data shown aggregates four surveys carried out in Canada during 2022. Dairy products, bread, and candy show the largest gender differences among respondents.