Not in economic power, not in patents, not in technological innovation. surprise China’s lead over the United States is marked by another, equally important but less obvious indicator: protein. Data collected by the UN food agency FAO shows that the Asian giant has overtaken North America in per capita protein intake—after years of closing the gap.

The difference is small but obvious.

From the fridge to the headlines. The first to notice this surprise It happened South China Morning Post (SCMP) is a Hong Kong-based newspaper owned by the technology giant Alibaba Group. At the end of July, it published a comprehensive analysis reflecting the change achieved in the international food map in 2021. The newspaper noted that in that year, FAO technicians recorded that the daily amount of protein per capita in China was higher than in the United States. The data is relevant because, it insisted, it leaves an indicator of the quality of life.

So what does the data show? In 2021, China’s daily protein intake per capita reached 124.61 grams, slightly higher than the 124.33 grams recorded in the United States. This figure also exceeds figures from other countries consulted by the SCMP, such as Japan (91.99 grams), South Korea (108.31 grams) or Australia (119.55 grams), and is well above India’s 70.52 grams. Iceland leads the rankings in daily protein intake per capita, with 145.62 grams.

These are calculations for the average citizen, but the SCMP insisted they were important because the United Nations balance sheets measure proteins potentially available for consumption and calculate the national supply by taking into account both the amount produced by the country and the amount imported.

Photo courtesy of FAO. A few months ago, FAO launched a new statistical portal with disaggregated data that allows you to get a precise idea of ​​​​the nutritional situation of each country and make comparisons. The strength of Asia and America is particularly interesting. Regarding average protein intake, China’s latest indicator is 125.2 grams per person per day, a figure that corresponds to the average of the three-year period between 2020 and 2022 calculated by FAO in this way. If we move on the map, the average changes.

In mainland China, it is 125.6 grams, while in Macau it drops to 114.5 grams, and in Taiwan the last figure is just under 100. In the US, the average protein intake over the same period (between 2020 and 2022) was 123.5 grams per person. Below the Chinese indicator per person per day.

FAO chart of average protein intake in China.

FAO chart of average protein intake in the US.

Was it always like this? No. And it’s this trend that explains SCMP’s interest. FAO data shows that years ago, the US easily surpassed China in average daily protein intake per capita. For example, the 2019-2021 average was even higher in the North American country (123.7 grams) than in the Asian country (123.2 grams). Looking back a decade, from 2014-2016, the US recorded 118.2 grams, while its Asian rival had 115.6 grams.

Draft differences. The FAO’s per capita consumption indicator is not the only difference between the Chinese and US diets. There is another, even bigger one, collected by the statistical information site Our World in Data: the sources of these proteins. In China, the vast majority (around 62%) consists of plant protein, while in the US this figure represents only 31%. With meat, it is the opposite. In the Asian giant, this figure represents 21%, which is half of the US (42%).

The X-ray of Chinese protein intake is completed by fish and shellfish (8.1%), eggs (5.6%) and dairy products (2.7%), the latter being a rather heavy source on the other side of the Pacific, even higher, at almost 19%. The total of protein contributions calculated by Our World in 2021, according to FAO data, reveals a slightly higher value for the United States than for China.

What do the numbers say? If the FAO figures are interesting, it is not so much for their value as for what they suggest. China has managed to rise to the top of the global fisheries and aquaculture map, has expanded its agriculture in search of less foreign dependency, and is a major player in the production of certain foods, such as the pork industry or soybeans. After years of increasing harvests, we are now the world’s fourth largest producer.

In its analysis, SCMP highlights that China has managed to increase its protein consumption to match or even exceed that of other Western countries without triggering global food prices, a scenario that experts such as Lester Brown, author of the book ‘Who Will Feed China?’ have warned about, stating that the country would need to import a lot of grain, which would affect costs.

“If over 1 billion Chinese citizens now have the same living arrangements as Australians and Americans, then we are all in for a terrible time, the planet can’t handle it,” Barack Obama said during an interview on ABC in 2010.

A photo with nuances. While the charts in the FAO statistical service reflect a deficit in average protein intake, there are other indicators measured by the organization where the US continues to be ahead of China in terms of nutrition or food access. One of these is animal protein contribution. Another is known as ADESA, which is short for “average adequacy of dietary energy”, GDP per capita, or food supply in kcal per capita. The US is also found to have a higher prevalence of obesity among adults.

Images | Josh Appel (Unsplash), FAOSTAT 1 and 2 and Our World in Data

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