Colombia: Pork saw greatest increase in animal protein consumption in 2024

Meat consumption in 2024

• In 2024, total per capita consumption of the main animal proteins (chicken, beef, pork, and fish) reached 79.1 kg/inhabitant/year, representing an increase of 2.6 kg/inhabitant/year (+3.4%) compared to 2023.

• Chicken meat remained the most consumed protein in the country, with a per capita consumption of 36.8 kg/inhabitant/year in 2024, representing 46.5% of total consumption. It was followed by beef, with 18.2 kg/inhabitant/year and a share of 23.0%.

• Pork ranked third in the consumption ranking in 2024, with 14.7 kg/inhabitant/year and a share of 18.6%.

• Per capita fish consumption stood at 9.4 kg/inhabitant/year, representing 11.9% of total consumption.

• In 2024, pork experienced the greatest increase in per capita consumption, with an increase of 1.2 kg/inhabitant/year compared to 2023. It was followed by chicken and beef, with increases of 1.0 and 0.5 kg/inhabitant/year, respectively, while fish consumption decreased by 0.1 kg/inhabitant/year in the last year.

• Per capita egg consumption reached 342 units in 2024, while milk consumption reached 153 liters.

Evolution of meat consumption over the last 10 years

• Between 2014 and 2024, pork was the only animal protein that practically doubled its consumption, with an increase of 98.6%, from 7.4 to 14.7 kg/inhabitant/year. In second place, fish consumption grew by 54.1%, followed by chicken meat with an increase of 25.6%. In contrast, beef experienced a decrease of 7.6% in the same period, going from 19.7 to 18.2 kg/inhabitant/year.

• In the last 10 years, total animal protein consumption in Colombia has grown at an annual rate of 2.5%, with pork being the protein with the highest average annual growth rate (7.2%), higher than that of fish (4.7%) and chicken (2.4%). Beef, on the other hand, decreased at an annual average of -0.7% during the same period.

• Per capita consumption of pork and fish has shown sustained growth over the last 10 years, increasing its share of total meat consumption. In contrast, chicken meat consumption has remained relatively stable over the last five years, while beef consumption has declined throughout the period, although in 2024 it increased by 1 kg, returning to 2018 levels.
• One possible interpretation of the trajectories of animal protein consumption in the last decade is that the increase in pork and fish consumption could be compensating for the decrease in beef consumption. This trend would reflect a change in consumer preferences, which is positive for the sector, since total meat consumption continues to grow steadily, indicating greater possibilities for diversification and market penetration.