Who eats the most cheese in the world?

Where the world's biggest cheeseheads? (iStock)

Which country consumes most of the world's cheese?

France, of course. But while they're are known for their fromage-loving ways, they still manage to avoid the harrowing obesity rates that plague the U.S.

According to a new report from the International Dairy Federation, Europeans consume a staggering amount of cheese. The top ten cheese eating countries are all in Europe, with each person putting away at least 43 pounds of cheese per year. The average French person consumes 57 pounds.

The report also highlighted a new trend in other global markets. While the Chinese ate less than .074 pounds of cheese per person in 2013, Chinese cheese imports increased 22 percent from the previous year, reported by the Wall Street Journal. The trend may be due in part to the rising popularity of cheesy fast foods like pizza across Asian markets.

In the U.S., each person consumes about 34 pounds of cheese in a year.

“The global cheese market is characterized by the fact that several of the leading producing and exporting countries are also among the largest cheese importers,” the IDF stated.

In 2013, the world cheese trade rose 2 percent, with over 2.4 million tons produced.