The Evolution
of Diet
National Geographic Magazine

Similarity to rest of world’s diet, 1961 to

Less similar

More similar

From 1961 to 2009
The diets of these countries have become:

Less similar...

...or more similar to the rest of the world

We'll Have What They're Having

People increasingly eat the same types of food. They now get more calories from wheat, rice, corn, sugar, oil crops, and animal products. Meanwhile, consumption of grains such as sorghum, millet, and rye and of root crops such as cassava and yams has fallen.

Comparing diets by country, the international agricultural research group CGIAR tracked five decades of change.

On average European, North American, and South American diets have shifted less than the diets of the rest of the world.

Most Middle Eastern diets have changed less than the global average of 36 percent, though Yemen’s diet has changed more than that of any country in the world, driven by skyrocketing consumption of staple grains like wheat, rice, and corn, as well as sugar, and a reduction of traditional cereals like sorghum and barley.

Diets have changed most dramatically in Africa, where 18 countries have diets that have changed by more than 25 percent. Sugar consumption in Congo, for example, has increased 858 percent since 1961.

Asian diets have also undergone drastic change. Consumption of animal products increased fivefold in Korea, while rice, millet, and sweet potatoes declined.

Only countries with populations greater than three million shown.

Some country names reflect those used in 1961.

Jason Treat and Anna Scalamogna, NG Staff. Source: Colin Khoury, CGIAR

We'll Have What They're Having

People increasingly eat the same types of food. They now get more calories from wheat, rice, corn, sugar, oil crops, and animal products. Meanwhile, consumption of grains such as sorghum, millet, and rye and of root crops such as cassava and yams has fallen.

Comparing diets by country, the international agricultural research group CGIAR tracked five decades of change.

Most Middle Eastern diets have changed less than the global average of 36 percent, though Yemen’s diet has changed more than that of any country in the world, driven by skyrocketing consumption of staple grains like wheat, rice, and corn, as well as sugar, and a reduction of traditional cereals like sorghum and barley.

Similarity to rest of world’s diet, 1961 to 2009

Less similar

More similar

Diets have changed most dramatically in Africa, where 18 countries have diets that have changed by more than 25 percent. Sugar consumption in Congo, for example, has increased 858 percent since 1961.

Similarity to rest of world’s diet, 1961 to 2009

Less similar

More similar

Asian diets have also undergone drastic change. Consumption of animal products increased sevenfold in Korea, while barley consumption fell by 90 percent.

Similarity to rest of world’s diet, 1961 to 2009

Less similar

More similar

On average European, North American, and South American diets have shifted less than the diets of the rest of the world.

Similarity to rest of world’s diet, 1961 to 2009

Less similar

More similar

Only countries with populations greater than three million shown.

Some country names reflect those used in 1961.

Jason Treat and Anna Scalamogna, NG Staff. Source: Colin Khoury, CGIAR