The chart shows how much butter and margarine were consumed per person in the United States from 1980 to 2020.
Overall, butter consumption rose slightly over time, while margarine showed a steady and significant decline. By the end of the period, butter had become more popular than margarine.
In 1980, people consumed about 4.5 lbs of butter per person. This amount fell a little in 1990 but then increased gradually in the following years, reaching around 6 lbs in 2020.
Margarine started at a much higher level, at just over 10 lbs per person in 1980. However, its consumption dropped continuously throughout the period. It fell to about 8 lbs in 1990, then to 6 lbs in 2000, and kept decreasing sharply until it reached only 2 lbs in 2020.
In summary, while butter became slightly more popular over time, margarine lost popularity quickly and consistently across the 40-year period.
