New figures from the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) show a noticeable shift in Czech eating and drinking habits during 2024.

The country consumed 797 kilograms of food per person, while the structure of the average diet continued to change. Consumption of alcohol, sugar and flour declined, whereas dairy products, vegetables and meat increased.

One of the most striking year-on-year changes appeared in milk and dairy products. Czechs consumed 260.9 kilograms per person, an increase of six kilograms compared with 2023. Potatoes, pasta and long-life baked goods also recorded moderate growth.

At the same time, people ate less fruit overall, dropping to 84.4 kilograms per person. Consumption of fruit grown in temperate climates declined, while fruit from southern regions rose slightly, largely due to higher demand for bananas.

The year also brought a measurable shift in vegetable consumption. Czechs ate 91.6 kilograms of vegetables per capita, up 4.5 kilograms from the previous year.

Alcohol consumption moved in the opposite direction. The country drank 156 liters of alcoholic beverages per person, a drop of 4.3 liters from 2023. Looking further back, the decline is more pronounced: in 2015, Czechs consumed 172.4 liters, meaning a reduction of 16.4 liters over the past decade. Beer remains the dominant drink at 130.5 liters per capita, followed by wine at 19.5 liters.

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Meat consumption also changed, though in a way that continues long-term trends. The average person consumed 85.3 kilograms of meat. Pork remained the primary choice at 43.3 kilograms, followed by poultry at 30.9 kilograms and beef at 9.1 kilograms.

According to CZSO’s Renata Vodičková, pork has represented roughly half of all meat consumption since the 1950s. Poultry, however, has grown steadily—from seven percent in the mid-20th century to 36 percent in 2024, with per-capita consumption breaking the 30-kilogram threshold for the first time. Beef, meanwhile, has fallen from 32 percent of total meat intake to 11 percent.

The CZSO also examined the country’s food self-sufficiency. The Czech Republic is fully self-sufficient in milk and dairy products (excluding butter) and in beef and veal. Wheat flour reached 92.3 percent, and eggs 85.4 percent. Pork self-sufficiency remained low at 38.5 percent, and poultry reached 59.2 percent.

Among all monitored foods, tomatoes recorded the lowest self-sufficiency at 20 percent, followed by apples at 36.8 percent.

Photo: Manifesto Market

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