The line graph illustrates the average per capita cheese consumption across four regions of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – over a four-decade period from 1980 to 2020.
Overall, England witnessed a gradual decline in cheese consumption, whereas Scotland experienced considerable fluctuations. In contrast, Wales and Northern Ireland exhibited a consistent upward trend throughout the period.
In England, the average consumption of cheese started at 110 grams per person in 1980, peaking at 125 grams in 1990 before experiencing a steady decline to 100 grams by 2010, where it remained unchanged until 2020. On the contrary, Scotland’s cheese consumption began at 50 grams, increased to 75 grams in 1990, but then faced a downward trajectory, culminating in a low of just above 50 grams in 2020, despite a temporary rebound to 75 grams in 2010.
Conversely, Wales experienced an initial consumption of 75 grams, which decreased to 50 grams by 1990, followed by a significant increase to nearly 100 grams in 2000. Although it subsequently declined to below 75 grams in 2010, it eventually dropped sharply to 25 grams in 2020. Northern Ireland exhibited the lowest average cheese consumption at the outset, starting at 50 grams in 1980, increasing to above 75 grams in 1990, and maintaining this level until 2010, before slightly edging upward to over 75 grams by 2020.