Which country eats the most chocolate? 2023 (2024)

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Which country eats the most chocolate 2023? ›

Which Country Eats the Most Chocolate in the World? Switzerland is the country that is responsible for the most amount of chocolate consumed per capita. Even though there are certainly countries across the globe that consume more total chocolate than Switzerland, Switzerland consumes the most chocolate per person.

The Swiss eat the most chocolate in the world at 25.5 pounds per person. Europe is the largest chocolate market, with $45 billion in chocolate sales projected in 2022. The chocolate market in China is projected to reach $4 billion by 2025.

This is a rough estimate of how much chocolate is consumed per capita by country. Switzerland stands out on top, as it has for a long time.

Estimates are that the typical American consumes nearly 12 pounds of chocolate a year. That might sound like a lot, but spread out over a year it's only a bit more than the amount — 1 ounce, a few times a week — that various health experts say is reasonable.

Consumption of chocolate and other candy in the U.S. 2020

The data has been calculated by Statista based on the U.S. Census data and Simmons National Consumer Survey (NHCS). According to this statistic, 268.09 million Americans consumed chocolate and other candy in 2020.

Neighboring Germany is also high up on the list with 5.8 kilograms per capita, while Americans are estimated to eat 9 kilograms of chocolate per year on average. At the other end of the scale, India and China have considerably lower per-capita consumption at 1.0 and 0.2 kilograms, respectively, according to Statista.

Most cocoa is produced in West Africa

Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana are by far the two largest cocoa growing countries, accounting for over 60 % of global cocoa production, followed by Ecuador with 7 %.

Chocolate bars soared in popularity during the Roaring Twenties. By the end of the decade, more than 40,000 different candy bars were being made in the U.S., according to Susan Benjamin, candy historian and author of Sweet as Sin: The Unwrapped Story of How Candy Became America's Favorite Pleasure.

Despite earning a top spot as one of the most obese nations around the world, Americans do not consume the most chocolate. However, Americans do import more chocolate products and ingredients than any other country.

Valrhona. Hailing from France's Rhône Valley and crafting couverture since 1922, Valrhona is considered the Rolls Royce of chocolate. The brand has perfected techniques for enhancing the flavor of rare cocoa beans that are directly bought from the plantations in South America, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean.

Is chocolate in every country? ›

Modern chocolate is a bittersweet treat that's made by grinding & sweetening the fermented and roasted seeds of the tropical cacao tree. It's made in almost every country in the world, and over 50 countries grow the cacao used to make chocolate.

In 2015, chocolate maker Hershey Co. published a report on which states consumed the most sweets per capita, and the top state was Utah. Utah's prolific sweets consumption has had an impact on obesity measures.

Chocolate consumption is particularly high among the supposedly more health-conscious generation: the 25 to 34-year-olds. In this age group, a whopping 34% say they eat chocolate every day. By contrast, only 8% of 65-plus consumers replicate that daily habit.

According to Statista.com, Belgium exports the most chocolate worldwide as of 2021. This could come as no surprise, as some of the most widely used brands of chocolate are based in Belgium or owned by Belgium companies. A surprise to many would be countries like Poland or Canada in the top 5.

Most cacao is produced in West Africa

The Ivory Coast and Ghana are the two biggest producers of cacao, accounting for more than 50 percent of the world's cocoa beans.

A 2016 study done by Jordbruksverket, the Swedish Board of Agriculture, and featured in a recent article by The New Yorker, found that Sweden has the highest candy consumption per capita in the world — about 35 pounds per person per year. That means that the average Swede eats over half a pound of candy every week.