Halal meat consumption has evolved over the past thirty years. This reflects demographic changes, but also a shift in the purchasing power of Muslims. Is this evolution specific to the consumption of so-called halal meat?
Meat Consumption and Production Around the World: A Brief Overview
Since 1990, global meat consumption has doubled. Thus, parts of the West (the USA[1], Australia[2], Europe[3]) have seen their inhabitants double their meat consumption over the past fifty years. But this is not unique to the West. Among the BRICS[4], meat consumption in China (1.416 billion[5]) has quadrupled to reach 65 kg of meat per capita. In India, where the population reaches 1.463 billion[6], consumption remains very low, around 5 kg per capita per year. It should be remembered that in India, unique religious practices dictate a different relationship with meat. India is the fourth country with the lowest meat consumption after Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bangladesh.
In Asia, where dynamism is also evident in this area. On behalf the website “our World in Data[7]”, Asia ranks first in terms of meat production, contributing a substantial share of total global production. This represents a significant shift from previous decades. In the early 1960s, Europe and North America were the main meat-producing regions. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, their combined share declined considerably, with Asia becoming the predominant region in terms of meat production.
In the Middle East, the evolution is equally remarkable. The edible meat market size is estimated at USD 29.93 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 33.20 billion by 2029[8]. By country, Saudi Arabia currently has the highest edible meat consumption, with a 20.42% share of the Middle East’s edible meat market by value. The country is expanding its meat production facilities to achieve self-sufficiency in meat production. For example, Saudi Arabia plans to invest USD 5 billion to boost poultry production, with the Kingdom aiming to achieve 80% self-sufficiency in poultry meat by 2025[9].
Africa
On the African side, the low availability of livestock products results in low meat consumption (20 kg/capita/year on average across the continent[10]). According to Statista[11], average meat consumption on the African continent is between 0 and 50 kg per capita per year, while this average varies between 50 and 121 kg in the rest of the world.
On the African continent, the trend is just as significant, but relative to the rest of the world, according to FAO[12] figures. Some African countries compared to China:
|
Country |
Beef production in 2023 in tons |
Poultry production in 2023 in tons |
|
South Africa |
1,030,000 |
1,870,000 |
|
Egypt |
663,452 |
2,160,000 |
|
Libya |
6,482 |
131,077 |
|
Tunisia |
49,843 |
247,326 |
|
Algeria |
138,000 |
458,094 |
|
Morocco |
256,850 |
700,000 |
|
Mauritania |
31,579 |
4,911 |
|
China |
7,530,000 |
25,630,000 |
Compared to other Maghreb countries, meat consumption in Algeria is one of the lowest. All African countries remain below Western consumption levels. As we mentioned above, India (low meat consumption) stands out from other BRICS members such as Brazil and China.
|
Country |
Meat consumption per kg/year/capita for 2022[13] |
|
South Africa |
62.58 |
|
Egypt |
31.88 |
|
Libya |
42.9 |
|
Tunisia |
30.82 |
|
Algeria |
17.83 |
|
Morocco |
31.59 |
|
Mauritania |
32.72 |
|
China |
70 |
|
USA |
121.71 |
|
Madagascar |
5.34 |
|
Senegal |
20.74 |
All countries in the Global South (apart from China, Brazil, and parts of South America) maintain meat consumption below 60 kg/year/capita for 2022.
Poultry consumption remains the world leader, with a figure of 16.88 kg/year/capita, ahead of pork at 15.13 kg/year/capita, ahead of beef and buffalo at 9.33 kg/year/capita, and far behind. Behind sheep and goats, 2.01 kg/year/person.
In any case, the most popular type of meat is poultry. It’s the least expensive meat and also the most widely consumed worldwide because it doesn’t face religious restrictions like pork.
This rate of global consumption therefore requires a constant supply and, therefore, a livestock industry to meet ever-growing needs. Thus, the number of animals slaughtered to meet demand reaches 76.25 billion chickens. Taking all the animals slaughtered for meat consumption, we have impressive figures for 2022, according to the graph below:
Chicken 76.25 billion
Duck 4.19 billion
Pork 1.51 billion
Mutton 695.48 million
Goat 543.79 million
Turkey 521.97 million
Cattle 309.87 million
Europe
Meat consumption in the Old Continent remains above average, with 22.7 million cattle slaughtered in 2022. This remains below the previous year, with a difference of 1.1% and even 5.3% compared to 2018. Beef production in the European Union fell by 2.4% to 6.6 million tonnes. Slaughter rates declined in most European countries except for Ireland and Spain. This decline is expected to continue in 2023.
France
France has 960 slaughterhouses, including 233 to 263 butchery slaughterhouses, spread across the country. Slaughterhouses play a major role in animal sectors and the food chain, as they constitute a mandatory point of passage for livestock whose meat is delivered for consumption. French consumption, like that of most European countries, is trending downward. The reasons for this are multiple. For example, between December 2016 and December 2022, the French cattle herd lost 9.5% of its population, or 837,000 cows, divided between 494,000 suckler cows (-11.4%) and 443,000 dairy and mixed breed cows (-7.7%). Between 2021 and 2022, the annual rate of decline increased from 2.8% to 3.0%, according to the Livestock Institute. The trend is strengthening. The growing emergence of vegan or vegetarian and anti-speciesist[14] demands is placing the role of meat in a less dominant position in French household consumption. Consideration of animal welfare strengthens consumers’ prospects of moving away from meat products, while on the other hand, it complicates the industrial management of meat production, leading to the closure of small and medium-sized slaughterhouses.
Halal Meat
But paradoxically, halal meat consumption is recording a 15% growth in sales in supermarkets and hypermarkets (GMS). According to Catherine Takougang[15], the increase is quite significant among French families of five or more. She points out that nearly 12 million French households have purchased halal-certified products according to NielsenQi[16]. This makes this market increasingly attractive for a portion of the French food industry. A National Assembly[17] investigation report indicates that “in terms of the number of heads slaughtered, slaughter without stunning represented, in 2014, 15% of cattle and 27% of sheep.” These are essentially halal ritual slaughters since Jewish ritual slaughter only accounts for 1.6% of ritual slaughter in general, or less than 200,000 animals per year out of an annual total of 9 million animals slaughtered. In 2016, 128 butchery slaughterhouses benefited from the exemption to be able to perform ritual slaughter, as well as 68 poultry slaughterhouses.
But France is not the only European country experiencing growth in the halal market. In recent years, the demand for halal food in Spain has experienced unprecedented growth. According to data from the Barcelona wholesale market, mercabarna, 56% of beef and 62% of lamb sold are slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law.
Is this specific to France?
According to the specialist website Salaam Gateway, the global halal food market is growing by 6.2%[18].
Indeed, the economic development of various Muslim countries and the overall demographic growth of the Muslim world are providing significant impetus not only to the halal food market, but also to all types of products that Muslims feel the need to be halal certified. Globalization is driving the growth of trade in goods.
France, which has a significant Muslim population, is part of this dynamic development of halal food, as well as other products that meet the needs of French Muslims.
According to INSEE and its study on religious diversity in France (report IMMFRA23-D2 INSEE reference 2023), 10% of the population was affiliated with the Muslim religion in 2020, or 6.7 million Muslims. However, many sources dispute this information, claiming that there are approximately 8.4 million Muslims, more specifically a study by sociologist François Héran. In his book The French Archipelago[19], Jérôme Fourquet cites other figures. Indeed, according to his research, he states that “In this future France, the share of the population from the Arab-Muslim world will automatically represent, due to generational renewal, one in five, or even one in four, inhabitants if the upward trend observed since the early 2000s continues.”
Study conducted on field surveys in 2016. So, almost ten years later, we can deduce that the figure of 8 million may still be far from reality. But in any case, stagnation of this population and therefore of its consumption patterns is very likely. The general trend of births among young couples is around three children. These figures will decline, thus relentlessly responding to the sociological law of comfort that often determines the number of children in couples. Faced with the ratio of births to grandparents (or so-called first generation), descendants will follow the movement, not only in France but also worldwide, of postmodern family structures. This could lead to families of 4 individuals or at most 5 individuals. Obviously, this remains above the general national birth ratio, which tends to decrease more and more. And so the “over-representation” of Muslim citizens is, and will be due to the decrease in births observed in increasingly heterogeneous families (…). This inevitably has repercussions on the consumption of so-called halal meats and on their place in the meat industry in France.
While the consumption of French products and gastronomy that respect religious principles for Muslims remains a segment in high demand for the moment, this will not last because these French Muslims (supposed or proven) are also impacted by societal debates around the relationship to consumption and the environment. The figures for consumption of halal-certified products will inevitably move towards the French and European national trend in the consumption of meat products. According to Nielsen, this market now represents €280 billion annually, compared to €80 million ten years ago. Having remained in double digits for a long time, the rate of growth is tending to moderate with a 5.2% increase in sales over one year. Even some countries in the Muslim world where new generations are connected to the world and to debates around the world will be just as impacted by the relationship with meat, animals, and the environment. Therefore, halal certification is likely to strengthen in different types of products, but food consumption will also experience stagnation.
The place of so-called halal meat in the French market is often a source of controversy sparked by far-right parties or some animal welfare associations. Indeed, between identity-based withdrawal—which sees the visibility of the halal market as a sign of non-integration or even replacement of so-called indigenous populations—and the general, growing trend toward ending all forms of animal slaughter, the issue continues to resurface.
In any case, the consumption of halal meat in France has established its place despite hostilities. The question then arises for Muslim consumers: will the consumption of halal meat, which is, above all, meat, be just as prevalent in their daily lives in the future?
ISRH,
08/28/2025
[1] US Population, 347.3 million, https://www.unfpa.org/fr/data/world-population/CN, United Nations Population Fund website.
[2] Australia’s population is over 27 million according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, https://www.abs.gov.au/
[3] Population of the European Union, more than 450 million according to https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tps00001/default/table?lang=fr&category=t_demo.t_demo_pop
[4] Founded in 2009 around Brazil, India, Russia and China, then joined by South Africa in 2011 (…). Without constituting either an alliance or a homogeneous bloc with unified positions (…) the BRICS are expanding with the aim of challenging Western predominance over the international order. In January 2024, integration of Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Ethiopia. Joined by Indonesia in 2025. https://www.iris-france.org/les-brics-montee-en-puissance-dun-club-non-occidental/, consulted on August 4, 2025.
[5] https://www.unfpa.org/fr/data/world-population/CN, website of the United Nations Population Fund.
[6] idem
[7] Our World in Data is the result of a collaboration between researchers at the University of Oxford, who contributed scientific content to the website, and the non-profit organization Global Change Data Lab, which owns, publishes, and manages the website and data tools.
[8] https://www.mordorintelligence.com/fr/industry-reports/middle-east-edible-meat-market
[9] idem
[10] https://www.inrae.fr/dossiers/quels-defis-elevages-durables/production-consommation-mondiale.
[11] Statista is a global data and business intelligence platform with a vast database of statistics, reports, and insights on over 80,000 topics from 22,500 sources across 170 industries. Founded in Germany in 2007.
[12] FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2025 selon https://ourworldindata.org/meat-production
[13] FAO (2024), https://ourworldindata.org/meat-production
[14] Born in the 1970s, anti-speciesism is a school of thought challenging the idea that humans are at the top of the animal kingdom. Anti-speciesists believe that all animals, including humans, are of equal importance, and that their sensitivity and suffering must be taken into account. Consequently, they condemn all practices likely to oppress or cause suffering to animals, such as: Industrial farming; Animal shows (bullfighting, circuses, aquatic shows, etc.) and zoos; Hunting; Experimental research on animals; The consumption of meat and any product of animal origin, including their derivatives. https://lemagdesanimaux.ouest-france.fr/dossier-958-antispecisme.html
[15] Article from June 2, 20252 on https://www.reussir.fr/lesmarches/halal-des-ventes-en-gms-en-croissance-de-15-en-deux-ans
[16] Private international agency specializing in consumer purchasing behavior with a business intelligence platform integrating predictive analytics. Founded in 1923
[17] Rapport de la commission d’enquête du l’assemblée atonale du 20 septembre 2016, https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/14/rap-enq/r4038-ti.asp
[18] https://salaamgateway.com/story/the-global-islamic-economy-202425-overview-muslim-consumer-market-size-and-trajectory
[19]L’archipel français, naissance d’une nation multiple et divisée aux éditions Seuil, paru en 2019.