New research shows we eating, or is it spending, much more on food

According to new ABARES research, in 2016-17 we were spending about $3780 per person on average on domestic food  compared to $2950 in 1988–89 in real terms.

ABARES executive director, Dr Steve Hatfield-Dodds said; “The good news story of this research is that while household food consumption expenditure continues to grow, so do our net food exports,”

A few other interesting findings from the research;

• Food production and consumption in Australia have nearly doubled since 1988-89
• Food exports have risen to $39 billion, increasing 6.5 per cent a year since 2009-10
• Domestic food consumption has also doubled over the past 20 years
• Total national household consumption is $92 billion
• Imported food only makes up around 15 per cent of that total

Dr Hatfield-Dodds said; “The story here is not just how much we are eating, but what we are eating—and that depends on how much you earn. Higher income households have shown a willingness to pay a premium for quality food, while price is a key factor in the way lower income households shop for their food. There is a trend across the whole Australian population to spend more on eating meals out and fast foods. Eating out and eating fast foods now makes up 34 per cent of household food spending, up from 25 per cent in 1988–89.”