The global crustacean market is dominated by China, the USA and Japan, which is unsurprising considering their large population sizes. According to Euromonitor International, in 2005 alone, the population of China consumed an impressive 4,483.7 million tonnes of crustaceans, which includes all fresh and uncooked crustaceans such as lobsters, shrimps and crabs.
Elsevier Food International, Vol. 9, Number 4, November 2006 Euromonitor International

However, in terms of per capita consumption, the leading markets are made up of Japan, Denmark, USA, Norway and Sweden, where crustaceans form an integral part of the staple diet. The average annual consumption of these countries in 2005 was 4.6kg per capita.
Over the past five years, there has been particularly strong growth in Denmark, where per capita consumption of crustaceans increased by a staggering 170 per cent between 1998 and 2005. South Africa also performed well, achieving growth rates of 110 per cent over the same period. However, Euromonitor International predicts that demand in these growing markets will stabilise over the next five years, as demand in eastern European markets, such as Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic increases. Regions where demand has fallen over the past five years, such as New Zealand and the UK, will also begin to recover as consumers become more health aware and turn to seafood as a healthy alternative.

Source: Euromonitor International

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