The line graph illustrates changes in the weekly consumption of four types of food – chicken, beef, lamb, and fish – in a European country from 1979 to 2004, measured in grams per person.
Overall, chicken consumption showed a dramatic upward trend, eventually becoming the most popular choice, while beef and lamb both declined significantly over the period. Fish remained consistently the least consumed item throughout.
In 1979, beef was the most widely eaten meat, at around 220 grams per person per week, followed by lamb at roughly 145 grams. Chicken, by contrast, started the lowest among the meats, at approximately 150 grams, while fish consumption stood at just over 50 grams. Beef fluctuated considerably in the early 1980s but remained the dominant meat until the late 1980s, when it was overtaken by chicken at around 200 grams each in 1989. From that point onward, chicken rose steadily, reaching a peak of roughly 255 grams by 2004, whereas beef entered a long-term decline, dropping to approximately 110 grams by the end of the period.
Lamb consumption followed a broadly similar downward trajectory to beef, falling from 145 grams to around 55 grams, with a temporary rise in the early 1990s. Fish consumption, meanwhile, decreased only slightly, from 60 to about 35 grams, remaining the least popular option throughout the 25-year period.