Americans eat about 180 pounds (81.6 kg) of wheat per person per year — but that's less than half of what Egyptians and Algerians eat. The people who consume the most wheat per year are Tunisians, who eat almost 500 pounds (226.8 kg) of wheat per person per year.
More facts about wheat:
- The Egyptian government spends the same percentage of its revenues on wheat that the United States spends on its military activities in Afghanistan and Iraq.
- The demand for cereals is increasing around the world. By 2030, the United Nations estimates that demand for cereal imports will rise by more than 50 percent. Almost 2,300 million tonnes of cereals are produced globally every year, 646 million tonnes of which are wheat.
- There are about 30,000 varieties of wheat. A bushel of wheat can make about 90 1-pound (0.45-kg) loaves of whole wheat bread.