Household food spending statistics show how food budgets divide between groceries and prepared food, how prices and categories change, and how spending relates to food security and assistance. The measures below distinguish United States consumer-unit averages, household survey medians, public-program spending, and a separate United Kingdom household series.
Key Household Food Spending Statistics
The most useful headline measures are:
- In 2024, United States consumer units spent an average $9,232 on food, up 1.8% from 2023.
- In 2024, food represented 12.9% of average annual expenditures for United States consumer units.
- In 2024, food at home represented 7.9% of annual expenditures for United States consumer units.
- In 2024, food away from home represented 5.0% of annual expenditures for United States consumer units.
- From 2021 through 2024, the food expenditure share was 12.4%, 12.8%, 12.9%, and 12.9% for United States consumer units.
- In 2024, average food-at-home spending was $6,224 per United States consumer unit.
- In 2024, average food-away-from-home spending was $3,945 per United States consumer unit.
- From 2019 to 2023, annual food-away-from-home spending for United States consumer units moved from $3,526 to $3,933.
- From December 2023 to December 2024, United States food CPI increased 2.7%.
- From December 2023 to December 2024, food-away-from-home CPI increased 5.2% for United States urban consumers.
- In 2024, meat, poultry, fish, and eggs spending increased 21.5% for United States consumer units.
- In 2024, beef spending increased 32.0% for United States consumer units.
- In 2024, median weekly food spending was 1.18 times the Thrifty Food Plan cost for food-secure United States households.
- In December 2024, 8.61% of United States households worried food would run out before they could buy more.
- In FY2025, SNAP served an average 42.1 million participants per month in the United States.
- In FY2025, federal SNAP spending totaled $101.7 billion in the United States.
- In FY2025, an estimated 12.3% of United States residents received SNAP in an average month.
- In FY2023, UK food and non-alcoholic drink spending was £63.50 per household per week in real terms, down 11% from FYE2022.
Contents
- Annual totals and budget shares
- Food-at-home and grocery trends
- Restaurant and takeout spending
- Food prices and category changes
- Food security and spending adequacy
- SNAP participation and assistance spending
Annual Household Food Spending Statistics and Budget Shares
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported average annual food spending of $9,232 in 2024, a 1.8% nominal increase from 2023. The BLS measure is for a consumer unit, its survey spending unit, rather than every legal definition of a household. BLS, Consumer expenditures in 2024
Food made up 12.9% of average annual expenditures in 2024. Within that total, food at home accounted for 7.9% and food away from home for 5.0%; the categories include groceries and prepared-food arrangements such as restaurants, takeout, and delis.
| Measure | 2024 result | Population and unit |
|---|---|---|
| Total food spending | $9,232 | US consumer unit, annual average |
| Food at home share | 7.9% | US consumer-unit expenditures |
| Food away from home share | 5.0% | US consumer-unit expenditures |
| Food share overall | 12.9% | US consumer-unit expenditures |
The comparable BLS food share was 12.4% in 2021, 12.8% in 2022, 12.9% in 2023, and 12.9% in 2024. Food-at-home shares were 7.9%, 7.8%, 7.8%, and 7.9% across those years, while food-away-from-home shares were 4.5%, 5.0%, 5.1%, and 5.0%.
Annual food spending increased 12.7% in 2022, 6.9% in 2023, and 1.8% in 2024. These are nominal expenditure changes, so they combine changes in prices, quantities, and purchasing patterns.
The five largest US spending components—housing, transportation, food, healthcare, and personal insurance and pensions—made up 83.7% of spending in 2024. This is a broad budget statistic rather than a food-only measure.
A separate UK measure helps show why geography and definitions matter. Average UK household expenditure was £567.70 per week in FYE2023, covering April 2022 through March 2023; it rose 7% nominally but fell 4% in real terms compared with FYE2022. ONS, Family spending in the UK: April 2022 to March 2023
Food-at-Home and Grocery Spending Trends
Average US food-at-home spending reached $6,224 per consumer unit in 2024. It rose 6.1% in 2023 and 2.8% in 2024, with the BLS cautioning that category spending is not the same as quantities consumed. BLS, Consumer expenditures in 2024
The category changes were uneven:
- Spending on fruits and vegetables declined 3.5% in 2024.
- Spending on cereals and bakery products declined 6.1% in 2024.
- Spending on meat, poultry, fish, and eggs increased 21.5% in 2024.
- Beef spending increased 32.0%, poultry 24.8%, fish and seafood 21.7%, pork 19.8%, and eggs 6.1% in 2024.
These expenditure changes combine price and quantity effects, so a larger dollar outlay does not by itself establish that households bought more food. The BLS figures also describe average consumer units, not a typical household at every income level or family size.
Restaurant, Takeout, and Food-Away-from-Home Spending
US consumer units spent an average $3,945 on food away from home in 2024, including restaurants, takeout, delis, and similar prepared-food arrangements. The annual average was only $12 higher than in 2023, after larger changes earlier in the series. BLS, Consumer expenditures in 2024
| Year | Annual food-away-from-home spending | Share of food dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $3,526 | 43.2% |
| 2020 | $2,375 | 32.5% |
| 2021 | $3,030 | 36.6% |
| 2022 | $3,639 | 39.0% |
| 2023 | $3,933 | 39.4% |
The historical series is in nominal US dollars per consumer unit per year. Food away from home rose 20.1% in 2022 and 8.1% in 2023, while its share of food dollars fell sharply in 2020 before recovering through 2023.
Food-away-from-home CPI increased 7.7% in 2022 and 7.1% in 2023 for US urban consumers. The CPI measures prices, whereas the expenditure series measures household outlays; neither series alone measures meals, calories, or restaurant visits.
Food Price Changes and Category-Level Spending Data
From December 2023 to December 2024, US food CPI increased 2.7%. Food-at-home CPI rose 1.1%, while food-away-from-home CPI rose 5.2% for urban consumers. BLS, Consumer expenditures in 2024
The 2024 annual CPI rates for selected food categories were:
| Category | 2024 CPI change | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Meat, poultry, fish, and eggs | 2.2% | US urban-consumer annual inflation |
| Beef | 5.4% | US urban-consumer annual inflation |
| Poultry | 0.8% | US urban-consumer annual inflation |
| Fish and seafood | -1.9% | US urban-consumer annual inflation |
| Pork | 1.3% | US urban-consumer annual inflation |
| Eggs | 8.5% | US urban-consumer annual inflation |
Meat, poultry, fish, and eggs spending rose 21.5% in 2024 while the corresponding CPI rose 2.2%. The supplied BLS limitation is important: the difference does not isolate quantity changes, and expenditure categories and price indexes are distinct measures.
UK results use different categories and definitions. In FYE2023, real UK household spending on food and non-alcoholic drinks was £63.50 per week, down £7.50 or 11% from FYE2022, while nominal spending increased £1.30 or 2%; meat-product spending fell £1.80 or 13% in real terms. ONS, Family spending in the UK: April 2022 to March 2023
Food Security and Household Spending Adequacy
USDA Economic Research Service estimates compare median weekly food spending with the household-specific December 2024 Thrifty Food Plan, or TFP, cost. These are medians, not direct dollar amounts, and the USDA notes that the 2021 TFP revision limits comparisons with earlier years; households with invalid or missing responses or zero usual food spending were excluded, representing 7.0% of households. USDA ERS, Statistical Supplement to Household Food Security in the United States in 2024
| 2024 subgroup | Food secure | Food insecure |
|---|---|---|
| All households | 1.18× TFP | 1.06× TFP |
| With children under 18 | 1.07× | 0.97× |
| Without children under 18 | 1.26× | 1.14× |
| Married-couple families | 1.09× | 0.93× |
| Women living alone | 1.44× | 1.42× |
| Men living alone | 1.39× | 1.19× |
For households at 1.85 or more times the poverty line, median spending was 1.28 times TFP for food-secure households and 1.23 times TFP for food-insecure households. Inside metropolitan areas, the corresponding figures were 1.20 and 1.07; outside metropolitan areas they were 1.08 and 1.01.
Food-secure household ratios were 1.24 in the Northeast, 1.15 in the Midwest, 1.18 in the South, and 1.26 in the West. Food-insecure ratios were 1.12, 1.12, 1.03, and 1.05, respectively.
The December 2024 30-day survey also measured reported food hardship:
- 8.61% of US households worried food would run out before they had money to buy more.
- 7.81% said food bought did not last and they lacked money to get more.
- 8.81% could not afford balanced meals.
- 5.57% reported that adults cut meal size or skipped meals, and reporting households averaged 7.9 such days.
- 2.97% reported being hungry but not eating because they could not afford food, and reporting households averaged 8.5 such days.
These are weighted self-reports from the CPS Food Security Supplement, not direct spending totals; the day averages use categorical-range midpoint estimates.
SNAP Participation and Food Assistance Spending Measures
SNAP statistics describe public assistance participation and program spending, not total household food purchases. In FY2025, SNAP accounted for about 69% of USDA food and nutrition assistance spending, served an average 42.1 million participants per month, and recorded $101.7 billion in federal spending. USDA ERS, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – Key Statistics and Research
Average SNAP benefits were $187.94 per participant per month in FY2025. An estimated 12.3% of US residents received SNAP benefits in an average month, and state participation estimates ranged from 21.9% to 4.7% of residents, reflecting both population need and state policy differences. USDA ERS, Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials – Food Security and Nutrition Assistance
In FY2024, 37% of SNAP households received the maximum benefit and 9% received the minimum benefit. Among SNAP participants, adults ages 18–59 represented 41%, children about 39%, and adults 60 and older 20%; children younger than 5 represented about 11% and school-age children about 28%.
USDA food and nutrition assistance spending totaled $147.9 billion in FY2025, 1% below FY2024 after inflation adjustment. WIC accounted for 5%, while school meal, child-care food, summer food, and Summer EBT programs collectively accounted for 22% of that spending. USDA ERS, Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials – Food Security and Nutrition Assistance
Among US households below 130% of poverty in 2024, median weekly food spending was 0.93 times TFP for recent SNAP recipients and 0.94 times TFP for nonrecipients. The corresponding ratios were 0.82 times TFP for households receiving free groceries and 0.99 times TFP for those not receiving free groceries; SNAP receipt covered the previous 30 days, while free-grocery receipt covered the previous 12 months. USDA ERS, Statistical Supplement to Household Food Security in the United States in 2024
Finally, estimated household food insecurity during 2022–2024 ranged from 9.0% in North Dakota to 19.4% in Arkansas. That measure is not identical to household food spending, but it provides a state-level outcome context for interpreting food budgets and assistance participation. USDA ERS, Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials – Food Security and Nutrition Assistance