Which countries have the biggest sweet tooth?

Most people have a sweet tooth and when they’re offered something sugary it isn’t likely to be turned down. But some countries are far more addicted to sweetness than others. 

Statista Consumer Insights has revealed which countries have the biggest sweet tooth and you might be surprised to see the top countries that made it onto the company’s list.  

The data was collected from a survey administered between 2022 and 2023 that asked people from 56 countries and territories about the frequency with which they ate sweets. 

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Results from the survey were recorded in a final percentage total based on the number of respondents who reported that they consumed both sweets and chocolate regularly. 

The data was actually quite interesting and revealed that some nations just really aren’t as interested in sweets as much as others. So who topped the charts? Let’s find out. 

15% of South Koreans explained that they consumed sweets and chocolates regularly, which turned out to be an interesting contrast with other Asian countries on the list. 

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Kenya was the only African country to make it onto the list. This begs the question: Why don’t more countries on the African continent have a sweet tooth?

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One-quarter of Chinese people surveyed said they regularly indulge their desire to enjoy a sweet treat. But why such a big jump from those living in South Korea?

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People in Japan have an even bigger sweet tooth than those in China and South Korea, which is interesting considering the country’s fascination with umami-centric dishes. 

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You’d think the land of butter and croissants wouldn’t be so high on a list of nations that regularly indulge their sweet tooth, but the French do have an amazing dessert culture. 

Surprising, we know. While half of Americans regularly indulge their craving for candy or chocolate, it’s weird that it didn’t make it to the number one spot on an indulgence list. 

Italians aren’t known globally for loving sweet-tasting treats but they apparently have one of the largest in Europe. Although eating tiramisu and cannoli daily must be hard to turn down. 

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It’s weird that a country known for the blandness of its cuisine would have such a large number of people indulging in sweets. But maybe sticky toffee pudding and fruit pies are how they deal with a bland roast dinner?

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This one is no surprise since Belgium is one of the world’s most well-known chocolate producers and one of the few places you can eat waffles on the street without getting a funny look from passersby. 

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People in Germany indulge in sweets and chocolates just as regularly as their Belgian neighbors. But the key difference is Germans probably have a lot more choice when it comes to sweets brands! 

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Turkey is in an interesting place on this list. Just two away from the number one spot it is one of the older Middle Eastern nations to poll so highly and the running our theory is that Turkish Delight candies and Baklava have something to do with it…

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Weird, right? Ireland isn’t known for producing a lot of sweets or chocolate but the Irish seem to love indulging their sweet tooth more than most European nations, except for the country that took the number one spot. 

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Russia beat out the Irish by a meager one percent difference, and that actually makes a lot of sense. Russians are well known for their love of dessert going back centuries! 

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