Balance Sheet for Food Commodities 2021, preliminary and 2020 final figures

This release was updated on 23 June to include preliminary data on fish consumption in 2021. Final data for fish consumption in 2020 and preliminary data for 2021 have also been added to the database tables.

• In 2021, the consumption of meat as carcass meat (with bones) was 79.1 kilograms per capita, when game and offal are also taken into account. The total consumption of meat decreased slightly from the previous year. The consumption of poultry meat increased by 3 per cent to 28.4 kilograms. The consumption of pork decreased by nearly 3 per cent to 28.9 kilograms. The consumption of beef was 18.4 kilograms and approximately half a kilogram of mutton was consumed.
• The total consumption of cereals was 84.1 kilograms. The consumption of oats decreased from the previous year when it had been at its highest point, 11 kilograms per capita. The consumption of wheat increased and was 45.4 kilograms. Oats was consumed 10.2, rye 14.2, barley 0.9 and rice 6.9 kilograms per capita.
• Approximately 96 litres of milk was consumed per capita, which is 1.5 per cent less than in 2020. The share of low-fat milk in the consumption of liquid milk was 57 per cent.
• The total consumption of liquid milk products was 142 kilograms per capita, which is 2 kilograms less than in the previous year.
• In 2021, approximately 25.5 kilograms of cheese was eaten. The consumption of eggs was approximately 11.9 kilograms per capita.
• The consumption of fresh fruit was 56 kilograms, the consumption of dried fruit and fruit preserves slightly more than 6 kilograms, and the consumption of fresh vegetables 62.6 kilograms.
• The total consumption of fish was approximately 14.6 kilograms per capita in 2021.

The calculation does not indicate the exact amount of food consumption. The figures in the Balance Sheet for Food Commodities represent the amount available for consumption rather than actual consumption, because volumes of storage losses and other waste are not available from all stages of the food chain.

The meat consumption figures reported in the Balance Sheet for Food Commodities and the graph below also include bones, i.e., they are reported as carcass meat. Typically, carcass meat contains 80 per cent of boneless meat. In addition, the cooking loss ranges from 10 to 30 per cent, depending on the product. The weight of cooked meat is around 50 per cent of the weight of carcass meat.