Forget the baguette, the French are going crazy for burgers.

Figures have revealed that sales of the jambon-beurre – the ham and butter baguette sandwich, a classic of French snacking – have been surpassed by sales of American-style burgers.

The study by restaurant consultants Gira Conseil showed that about 1.2 billion ham and butter sandwiches were sold in 2017, while 1.4 billion burgers were eaten over the same period.

“The French’s favourite sandwich is losing ground, slowly but steadily,” the study said.

Overall, sales of both sandwiches and burgers are on the rise.

The study notes that “the ham and butter sandwich recorded a 1.3% growth in 2017 while burger (sales) keep booming with 9%” growth.

According to the consultant’s figures, half of all sandwiches sold in 2017 – 2.4 billion – were jambon-beurre.

“Despite a rise in the numbers of jambon-beurre consumed this year, long gone are the prosperous years,” the study said.

“In 2012, the jambon-beurre market share was 62%. It lost more than 11% over five years.”