According to Statista, global rice consumption reached 509.87 million metric tons in 2021-22, up by roughly 72.69 million tons from the 2008-09 harvest.
While pictures of rice paddies in Asia may initially come to mind when considering how the grain is farmed, the United States produces over 20 billion pounds of rice annually.
Rice is farmed in the United States but also imported. The USDA says the U.S. imports jasmine and basmati rice. But how much rice do Americans consume?
According to Food & Wine, Americans enjoy rice-based recipes and consume more than 20 pounds of the grain each year.
Statista predicts Americans ate 4.6 million metric tons in 2021-22. Rice has become an American pantry staple, with recipes for every meal and taste pallet.
But when compared to the 258.4 million metric tons used annually by the world's two largest consumers of rice, China and India, that number seems rather small.
In Asia, where rice is a staple food, the average person consumes roughly 220 pounds per year.
U.S. rice consumption is likely to rise as the country's ethnic makeup diversifies, albeit it remains well below Asia's levels.