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The chocolate league tables 2014: Top 20 consuming nations
ConfectioneryNews has mapped the top 20 chocolate-eating nations using Euromonitor International’s 2014 per capita consumption data.
Swiss chocolate lovers
Switzerland, home to chocolate giants Nestlé and Lindt, retained its crown as the top chocolate consuming country with the average person consuming 9 kg a year – equivalent to 209 regular sized (43 g) bars.
The Swiss are eating slightly more chocolate than they were two years ago, which is in line with most countries in Western Europe, such as the UK, Ireland and Belgium.
Swiss chocolate sales grew 4% in 2013 to reach CHF 1.7bn ($1.9bn), according to trade association Chocosuisse. The rise was primarily due to growing export sales, but domestic volume sales also rose 1.4%, which was attributed to prolonged winter weather and rising tourist numbers.
The fallers: US and Scandinavia
But chocolate consumption in some developed nations has declined since 2012, including in the world’s largest chocolate market by value, the US. Other markets to post modest falls in consumption were Scandinavian markets (Norway, Finland Denmark) and the Netherlands.
“While Western Europe and North America have the highest per capita consumption, this is expected to plateau and decline over the next years. Generally speaking, developed countries seem to have reached a sort of critical mass,” said Lauren Bandy, ingredients analyst for Euromonitor.
[Source: Consumption data (Euromonitor International), Population (Central Intelligence Agency) GDP figures (The World Bank)]
Value growth in developed markets
However, Bandy said there was still room for value growth in developed markets.
“Many consumers are turning to higher quality, more premium products, often darker chocolate products that have specific origins and flavours. This trend is expected to continue over the next five years, meaning cocoa demand in the region will continue to be strong.”
The risers: Former Eastern Bloc
How much chocolate do I eat?
If you were to eat a regular sized chocolate bar (43 g) everyday, your consumption would be 15.7 Kg a year.
Chocolate consumption has been on the rise in former Eastern bloc countries such as Estonia and Lithuania, while Russian chocolate consumption has also been on the up.
“With well-known, more western brands being perceived as higher quality, per capita consumption in parts of Eastern Europe, especially Lithuania and Estonia, has seen healthy growth," said Bandy.
We have also tracked chocolate consumption in the developing BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey) countries. See HERE for more details.
