U.S. Consumers Spent More on Food in 2022 Than Ever Before, Even After Adjusting for Inflation

The USDA, Economic Research Service’s (ERS) Food Expenditure Series (FES) provides a comprehensive measure of the total value of all food purchases in the United States. The series tracks spending on food intended to be prepared at home, such as from grocery stores, and food that is prepared away from home, such as at restaurants. The FES allows Government agencies, academic researchers, and industry stakeholders to assess and track developments in consumer food-buying behaviors and the U.S. food supply.

ERS published the 2022 update to the FES in June 2023 and publishes monthly updates with data delayed by 2 months. The monthly series by outlet type was added to the series in February 2023 and will be updated every year. In May 2023, ERS published State-level food expenditure estimates using a different underlying dataset but following a similar methodology to the national-level series. The State-level food expenditure estimates lag by 2 years.

Food Expenditure Series Shows Changes in Food Spending Trends

Real, or inflation-adjusted, annual food spending in the United States increased 70 percent from 1997 to 2022 to the highest level recorded. The 25-year climb was steady other than slight decreases during the Great Recession in 2008 and 2009 and a 6.4-percent annual drop in 2020, during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Spending on food at home (FAH) and food away from home (FAFH) increased from 1997 to 2022, but FAH rose at a slower rate (53 percent) than FAFH, which increased 89 percent. Real total food spending increased 11.4 percent in 2021 and 3.4 percent in 2022, driven by higher FAFH spending (up 19 percent in 2021 and 8 percent in 2022). Real FAH spending increased by 4 percent in 2021 but decreased by 2 percent in 2022.