International Food Budget Data

by: Jill Richardson

Fri Jun 05, 2009 at 08:00:00 AM PDT

The United States
On a per capita basis, the average American spends 9.7% of total income expenditures on food. Out of their food budget, here's how they allocate the money:
Beverages & Tobacco: 28.7%
Bread & Cereals: 11.4%
Dairy: 8.6%
Fats & Oils: 1.8%
Fish: 1.2%
Fruits and veg: 14.7%
Meat: 19.6%
Other: 14.1%

Food Spending As a Percent of Total Expenditures
Out of the entire world, the U.S. spends the LEAST amount of money (as a percent of total expenditures) on food. And, as previously noted on this blog, that number has been going down over the past several decades. We used to spend something like a quarter of our money on food, whereas now it is around a tenth. Here are the other countries that spend the least on food:
1. United States 9.7
2. Hong Kong 10.3
3. Barbados 11.1
4. Canada 11.7
5. Singapore 13.0
6. Germany 13.1
7. Sweden 13.3
8. Netherlands 13.3
9. Austria 13.5
10. Denmark 14.0

And here are the countries that spend the MOST on food:
1. Azerbaijan 73.5
2. Tanzania 73.2
3. Nigeria 73.0
4. Armenia 69.7
5. Albania 69.3
6. Tajikistan 68.9
7. Madagascar 65.9
8. Vietnam 64.8
9. Sri Lanka 63.6
10. Sierra Leone 62.1

In other words, it seems that the developed countries are the ones that spend very little as a percent of expenditures on food, whereas people in the less developed nations spend a greater percentage on food.

Beverages & Tobacco
It seems like the countries who spend the least on beverages and tobacco tend to be those that spend the most of their total expenditures on food. In other words, they are struggling just to have enough to eat and they aren't going to waste their precious money on drinks and smokes. Also, Muslim countries spend less on beverages and tobacco, presumably because Muslims do not drink alcohol:

Smallest Percent of Food Budget on Beverages & Tobacco:

Country	% of Food Budget on Beverages & Tobacco	% of Total Spending on Food
1. Tajikistan	1.2	68.9
2. Nigeria	2.7	73.0
3. Azerbaijan	2.9	73.5
4. Bangladesh	4.1	56.1
5. Pakistan	4.4	47.0
6. Georgia	4.4	47.4
7. Oman	4.7	24.1
8. Tanzania	4.7	73.2
9. Iran	4.8	32.5
10. Uzbekistan	4.8	48.3

Largest Percent of Food Budget on Beverages & Tobacco:

Country	% of Food Budget on Beverages & Tobacco	% of Total Spending on Food
1. United Kingdom	47.5	16.4
2. Luxembourg	43.1	17.1
3. Ireland	37.3	16.6
4. Botswana	36.4	32.8
5. New Zealand	32.9	15.2
6. Finland	31.4	14.7
7. Norway	30.0	16.0
8. Canada	29.5	11.7
9. Denmark	28.8	14.0
10. United States	28.7	9.7

I wonder what's up with Botswana? And I can tell you what's up with the U.K. because I've lived there. Lots of beer and lots of wine.

Breads & Cereals
(The U.S spends the 27th least amount as a percent of total food budget on breads & cereals out of 114 countries.)

Smallest Percent of Food Budget on Bread & Cereals:

Country	% of Food Budget on Bread & Cereals	% of Total Spending on Food
1. Greece	7.3	21.2
2. Norway	7.7	16.0
3. United Kingdom	8.3	16.4
4. Jordan	8.4	37.7
5. Syria	8.5	47.9
6. Luxembourg	8.9	17.1
7. Denmark	8.9	14.0
8. Hong Kong	9.0	10.3
9. Ireland	9.5	16.6
10. Slovakia	10.0	32.1

Well, if you are struggling to afford your food and you aren't spending your money on drinks and smokes, it looks like you ARE spending it on bread & cereals:

Largest Percent of Food Budget on Bread & Cereals:

Country	% of Food Budget on Bread & Cereals	% of Total Spending on Food
1. Nepal	57.6	57.9
2. Bangladesh	50.2	56.1
3. Tajikistan	46.9	68.9
4. Madagascar	44.5	65.9
5. Malawi	40.4	53.4
6. Tanzania	39.5	73.2
7. Azerbaijan	39.0	73.5
8. Vietnam	35.7	64.8
9. Sierra Leone	34.9	62.1
10. Mali	34.4	53.3

Dairy
This is an interesting one, because non-Western people tend to be lactose intolerant as adults. It makes a lot of sense that many countries don't spend very much on dairy. On the other hand, often people CAN tolerate some of the more fermented dairy products (like cheeses and yogurt) so it's not too surprising to see a country like Mongolia towards the top of the list. The U.S. spends the 41st least amount (as a percent of total food budget) on dairy. I'd bet you we drink a lot more milk than many countries, but our dairy is insanely cheap (both because much of it comes from factory farms, and because our dairy farmers aren't getting paid fairly).

Smallest Percent of Food Budget on Dairy:

Country	% of Food Budget on Dairy	% of Total Spending on Food
1. Sierra Leone	1.1	62.1
2. Guinea	1.2	43.7
3. Cameroon	1.2	43.8
4. Tajikistan	1.7	68.9
5. Madagascar	2.1	65.9
6. Vietnam	2.8	64.8
7. Bangladesh	3.2	56.1
8. Malawi	3.2	53.4
9. Hong Kong	3.4	10.3
10. Tanzania	3.6	73.2

Largest Percent of Food Budget on Dairy:

Country	% of Food Budget on Dairy	% of Total Spending on Food
1. Pakistan	26.8	47.0
2. Mongolia	18.1	58.7
3. Belarus	18.1	50.5
4. Albania	17.4	69.3
5. Moldova	17.0	43.4
6. Switzerland	15.2	14.6
7. Kenya	15.1	45.8
8. Latvia	14.9	41.8
9. Georgia	14.5	47.4
10. Lithuania	14.1	40.4

Fish
We rank 19 from the bottom here.

Smallest Percent of Food Budget on Fish:

Country	% of Food Budget on Fish	% of Total Spending on Food
1. Mongolia	0.0	58.7
2. Uzbekistan	0.2	48.3
3. Albania	0.3	69.3
4. Kyrgyzstan	0.3	47.2
5. Tajikistan	0.4	68.9
6. Kenya	0.4	45.8
7. Nepal	0.6	57.9
8. Pakistan	0.7	47.0
9. Botswana	0.7	32.8
10. Hungary	0.8	22.5

Largest Percent of Food Budget on Fish:

Country	% of Food Budget on Fish	% of Total Spending on Food
1. Hong Kong	19.7	10.3
2. Japan	17.0	14.9
3. Nigeria	15.2	73.0
4. Singapore	15.0	13.0
5. Philippines	14.5	48.4
6. Gabon	14.5	47.9
7. Congo	14.5	46.9
8. Senegal	13.1	53.4
9. Malawi	12.8	53.4
10. Sierra Leone	12.7	62.1

Fruits & Veg
We're 46th from the bottom here. For reference, we come in with 14.7% on fruits & veg, Italy spends 19.1%, Australia 18.3% Canada 18.1%, France 12.4%, United Kingdom 12.0%.

Smallest Percent of Food Budget on Fruits & Veg:

Country	% of Food Budget on Fruits & Veg	% of Total Spending on Food
1. Mongolia	3.8	58.7
2. Botswana	6.2	32.8
3. Belize	7.4	31.2
4. Germany	8.3	13.1
5. Kazakhstan	9.3	51.8
6. Vietnam	9.4	64.8
7. Bangladesh	9.6	56.1
8. Mali	9.9	53.3
9. Zimbabwe	10.0	25.6
10. Estonia	10.2	33.5

OK, seriously, what's up with Germany? I know they love their meat and their beer and their coffee & cake, but still... eat some freaking vegetables! This does make some sense though. Last time I was in Germany it was "Spargelfest" (Asparagus Fest) and I was eager to eat some asparagus, particularly because I was ticked to be missing asparagus season at home. The choices on most menus were cream of asparagus soup, or a few asparagus spears served with cream sauce plus a pork product of some sort on the side.

Largest Percent of Food Budget on Fruits & Veg:

Country	% of Food Budget on Fruits & Veg	% of Total Spending on Food
1. Gabon	44.9	47.9
2. Congo	44.8	46.9
3. Lebanon	35.1	39.3
4. Armenia	34.4	69.7
5. Kyrgyzstan	33.9	47.2
6. Benin	33.2	55.4
7. Tajikistan	31.6	68.9
8. Guinea	31.2	43.7
9. Cameroon	31.2	43.8
10. St. Lucia	30.3	46.6

Meat
We're 69th from the bottom here.

Smallest Percent of Food Budget on Meat:

Country	% of Food Budget on Meat	% of Total Spending on Food
1. Sri Lanka	1.8	63.6
2. Nepal	3.3	57.9
3. Sierra Leone	4.4	62.1
4. Bangladesh	4.4	56.1
5. Kenya	5.1	45.8
6. Indonesia	5.1	50.6
7. Tajikistan	5.2	68.9
8. Belize	6.5	31.2
9. St. Kitts & Nevis	7.6	36.3
10. Grenada	7.6	41.0

Largest Percent of Food Budget on Meat:

Country	% of Food Budget on Meat	% of Total Spending on Food
1. Paraguay	33.7	27.3
2. Mongolia	31.2	58.7
3. Jordan	27.6	37.7
4. Argentina	26.1	32.8
5. France	24.9	15.3
6. Belgium	24.7	14.4
7. Jamaica	24.7	34.8
8. Brazil	24.5	22.7
9. Zambia	24.4	60.8
10. Romania	24.3	45.3

I have a friend from Uruguay who tells me that people from his country loooooove beef. Seems like other South American countries are the same.

After reviewing this, I really wonder what the Tajik diet is like. They spend over 2/3 of their money on food. Out of their food budget, nearly half goes to breads and cereals and another 30% goes for fruits & veggies. 10% goes to fats and oils. That pretty much makes up their entire diet - 5% goes to meat and the remaining 5% goes to beverages, tobacco, dairy, fish, and "other foods."