Meat and fish account for a good fifth of food spending
According to the 2023 EVS, private households spent an average of 335 euros per month on food in 2023
In 2023, households spent about 335 euros per month on food. Non-Alcoholic beverages accounted for 55% of beverage spending, while alcoholic beverages accounted for 45%.
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In 2023, private households in Germany spent an average of about 335 euros per month on food. As the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) further reports, spending on meat and sausage, fish, and seafood accounted for a good fifth of that total, at an average of 22%. Households spent about one-sixth (17%) of their food expenditures on grains and grain products—such as bread, rice, and pasta—as well as on milk, dairy products, and eggs. Expenditures on vegetables, potatoes, and similar items accounted for 14%, while those on fruit and nuts accounted for 9%. On average, 8% was spent on sugar and confectionery. These figures are based on the subsample of the 2023 Income and Consumption Survey (EVS) and represent average values across all households. All household types are included, ranging from single-person households to extended families, and from low- to high-income households.
Spending on beverages amounts to around 75 euros per month
In addition to spending on food, private households spent an average of about 75 euros per month on beverages. 55% (just over 40 euros) of this spending went toward non-alcoholic beverages, while 45% (just under 35 euros) went toward alcoholic beverages. The largest share of beverage spending—just under a quarter (24%)—went toward soft drinks and mineral water. About one-fifth of beverage spending went toward wine (including non-alcoholic) and wine-based beverages (20%), and another one-fifth toward coffee and tea (19%). At 16%, just under one-sixth of beverage spending was spent on beer (including non-alcoholic beer).
Methodological Notes:
The results presented here are based on the subsample of the 2023 Income and Consumption Survey (EVS) regarding the detailed recording of expenditures on food, beverages, and tobacco products. For this purpose, 9,965 households provided detailed information on their expenditures for food, beverages, and tobacco products over a 14-day period. Expenditures at restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, and similar establishments are not included in these figures. The EVS is conducted every five years. It is the largest voluntary household survey in official statistics.
The EVS 2023 has undergone a comprehensive redesign and a transition to the current System of Income and Expenditures (SEA) 2021. Among other things, a revised data collection methodology and the first-ever option for participating households to record their data entirely digitally via a mobile or web app have led to a more uniform and accurate recording of expenditures in the individual categories. However, these changes also limit the comparability of the results with those of previous years. Detailed information on this topic is available on a special page on the Federal Statistical Office’s website.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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