U.S. Consumption Trends
Per capita onion consumption has risen over 70 percent in the last two decades, from 12.2 pounds per person in 1982 to just over 20 pounds per person in 2018.
The National Onion Association notes that onion rings, onion blooms, other onion appetizers, caramelized onions, and classic French Onion Soup remain popular restaurant uses for onions. In the past decade, red onions have gained popularity especially in fast causal dining segments on pizza, sandwiches and salads.
Ag Fact: Americans enjoy the lowest per capita food cost in the world. Spending just under 10 percent of total personal consumption expenditures on food at home.
— United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service
World Consumption Trends
World onion production is estimated at approximately 105 billion pounds each year. The average annual onion consumption calculates to approximately 13.67 pounds of onions per person across the world. Libya has the highest consumption of onions with an astounding average per capita consumption of 66.8 pounds.
