As of 2017, which country consumes the most chocolate per capita?

While Americans consume an impressive amount of chocolate (especially on holidays like Halloween, Easter, and Valentine's Day), the world's leading consumers of the sweet treat are in Europe, with Switzerland heading up the list at 19.4 pounds (8.8 kg) per capita in 2017. World renowned for the chocolate they produce, it seems the Swiss themselves can’t get enough of the candy. Germany, the country’s neighbor, is equally addicted, importing the largest share of Swiss chocolate of all countries in the world.

The Swiss have a long love affair with chocolate. It was Francois-Louis Cailler who opened the first mechanized chocolate factory in Corsier-sur-Vevey in 1819. And, it was Daniel Peter in 1875 who made the first milk chocolate with help from his neighbor Henri Nestle (the two would later go on to form the Nestle Company in 1879).

Global chocolate consumption continues to grow around the world year after year. In 2019, total consumption is expected to reach 7.7 million metric tons (7.6 million imperial tons). The driver of growth in recent years has been in the Asia Pacific region, experiencing a 3.2 percent expansion of the market over the last five years.