Belgium has been named the world's third biggest cheese-loving nation, according to a new study by market research firm Mintel.
The study focused on countries which import the most cheese, produce the most cheese, and which are the most interested in cheese, using a range of data sources from the UN Comtrade, Cheese.com, and Google search data. Each country was then given a score out of 100 according to the data collected.
Belgium ranked in third place globally with a score of 39.1/100, falling just behind the Netherlands (76.8) and France (39.3). With only 13 cheeses hailing from Belgium, it may come as a surprise that the nation made it into the top three worldwide.
However, Belgians import more than $11 and 1.6 kg of cheese per person per year, ranking second in the world in terms of value per capita.
Credit: Mintel
Belgium also spends more than $130 million (approximately €120 million) on cheese per year, with a total net weight of 141,000 kilograms. On average, Belgians search for 'cheese' in their native languages 8,100 times a month.
Despite its relatively small population of 17 million, the Netherlands came out on top as the world's biggest cheese lovers, as they import more than 3.1 kg and $14 worth of cheese per person each year.
France, meanwhile, is the biggest importer of cheese in the world, spending a total of $374 million (€344 million) on cheese each year, followed by Germany, with $294 million (€270 million) spent on cheese imports per year.
France is home to a staggering 246 varieties of cheese, and therefore a major player in cheese production globally. With 90,500 monthly Google searches for fromage, the French clearly live up to their reputation as cheese lovers.
However, a quarter of French consumers said that they are actively eating less cheese due to environmental concerns, so perhaps France's second-place position is likely to shift in the near future.
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In terms of net weight, Mexico ranks in top position, importing 56 million kilograms of cheese each year.
Switzerland, somewhat surprisingly, ranked in seventh place overall. The country is particularly prolific in importing cheese, ranking third highest in the world for trade value per capita behind the Netherlands and Belgium. But despite 32 varieties of cheese coming from Switzerland, they are relatively low in terms of in-house production.
