Vegetable Consumption in Africa

How many kilograms of vegetables do people in Africa eat every year?

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Vegetables, most of us didn’t like them as a kid. But most adults quickly realize they are very healthy and there are some amazing ways to cook some delicious vegetables. The amount of vegetables one needs, depends on the age and sex. But on average this is about 240 grams per adult per day or 87.6 kg per year.

The biggest consumers of vegetables per capita in Africa is Tunisia, where people consume an average of 250 kg of vegetables per capita per year. Algeria comes in second, with 193 kg of vegetables. Egypt is third, with 157 kg.

The lowest vegetable consumption can be found in Chad (7 kg), Ethiopia (14 kg), Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe (16 kg).

Curious about vegetable consumption in other continents? Have a look at these other maps of Asia, Europe and Africa that I’ve made before.

But how exactly does the FAO define vegetables? It probably matches mostly with what you would consider a vegetable. However, there are a few interesting exceptions. Potatoes are not counted as vegetables. Mushrooms, melons and watermelons are. Yes, the FAO considers melons and watermelons vegetables. This is the FAO’s explanation: “This grouping differs from international trade classifications for vegetables in that it includes melons and watermelons, which are normally considered to be fruit crops. But whereas fruit crops are virtually all permanent crops, melons and watermelons are similar to vegetables in that they are temporary crops”. Want to see the full list? Have a look here.