31st Oct 2018 - 06:00
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Abstract
Halloween is notorious for encouraging consumers to indulge in their favourite sweet treats. With global sugar consumption expected to exceed a ‘record-breaking’ 177m tonnes this year, which countries have been named and shamed for their sickeningly sweet tooth?
Based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), insurance provider Protectivity has revealed which countries consume the most sugar per capita:
- In first place as the “world’s top sugar consumer” is the United Arab Emirates, who eats 214kg (53,590 teaspoons) per capita, per year
- Djibouti: 193kg (48,329 teaspoons) per capita, per year
- Belize: 106kg (26,426 teaspoons) per capita, per year
- Bahrain: 93kg (23,257 teaspoons) per capita, per year
- Mauritania: 87kg (21,672 teaspoons) per capita, per year
- Cuba
- Belarus
- Guyana
- Malaysia
- Israel
To put this into perspective – despite cchildhood obesity reaching a ‘record high’ in England (October) – the UK ranked 68th, consuming around 83.5g per capita per day. Annual per capita consumption is 30kg, or 7,616 teaspoons.
The US fared worse in 54th place, with an annual consumption of 34kg per person - almost 1,000 teaspoons a year more than the average UK resident.
The top ten smallest sugar consumers are:
- North Korea - 0.11 kg per person
- Afghanistan - 1 kg per person
- Niger - 1 kg per person
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo - 2 kg per person
- Chad - 2 kg per person
- Paraguay - 2 kg per person
- Guinea-Bissau - 3 kg per person
- Central African Republic - 3 kg per person
- Burundi - 3 kg per person
- Burkina Faso - 3 kg per person
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