The Quality and Structure of Household Consumption Expenditure in Hungary – Highlighting Food Consumption

In this study I present the quality and structure of the consumption expenditure of Hungarian households, highlighting the specificities of food consumption. Food consumption is the most significant area of Hungarian household spending. In recent years the Hungarian population has spent on “Food and Non-alcoholic drinks” almost one quarter of per capita of consumption expenditure. The aim of the study is to provide a comprehensive picture of who spends most of their income on food and which categories of food are the largest and what future trends are expected. Statistics show that mostly older people and those with higher education spend the largest amount on food in both amount and proportion of their income. In terms of food categories at present, the consumption of cereals, vegetables and dairy products is the highest. In the future, in the more developed countries – including Hungary as well – especially the consumption of high value-added foods, such as Milk- and Meat Products, Vegetable Oils and Sweeteners is expected to increase. The analyzes also show that with the growth of prosperity, the consumption of healthier foods is increasing too.

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