National statistics

Family Food 2017/18

Updated 11 February 2020

Introduction

Family Food 2017/18 presents the results from the 2017/18 Family Food module of the Living Costs and Food Survey, covering household shopping and eating habits. Around 5,000 households in the UK are surveyed annually. Households record their expenditure on, and purchased quantities of, food and drink both for the household and that consumed outside the home. Nutrient intake estimates can be derived from the purchase data. Detailed long term time series are available for download. Family Food datasets cover household and eating out purchases for a detailed set of food and drink types, and breakdowns by a number of characteristics including region, income, household composition and occupation, amongst others. More details on the survey are in the ‘About Family Food’ section.

Financial year estimates

The latest results cover the financial year 2017/18, in line with the parent survey for Family Food (see the ONS Family Spending report), which switched to financial year reporting for 2015/16 onwards. Comparisons between financial year estimates and previous calendar year ones are valid since both cover a full year of shopping activity. Generally Family Food exposes long term trends in consumer behaviour and year on year differences are not especially relevant. In the detailed datasets we have provided indicative estimates for 2015/16 as well as the previously published 2015 calendar year estimates, for comparison.

1. Expenditure

1.1 Overview

This section provides estimates of household and eating out expenditure on food in 2017/18, alongside analyses of changes in household shopping behaviour in response to food price inflation in recent years.

Using comparisons between low income households and all households it is possible to examine the greater effects food price rises may have on vulnerable groups in society. Low income is one of many reasons to be vulnerable in society but this group is used here as a proxy. In the context of this chapter, low income households are identified as those within the lowest twenty per cent of households by equivalised income, a measure of household income that accounts for differences in household size and composition.

Financial year estimates

The latest results cover the financial year 2017/18, in line with the parent survey for Family Food (see the ONS Family Spending report), which switched to financial year reporting for 2015/16 onwards. Comparisons between financial year estimates and previous calendar year ones are valid since both cover a full year of shopping activity. Generally Family Food exposes long term trends in consumer behaviour and year on year differences are not especially relevant. In the detailed datasets we have provided indicative estimates for 2015/16 as well as the previously published 2015 calendar year estimates, for comparison.

• In 2017/18 the amount that an average household spent on all food and drink, including alcoholic drinks and food eaten out was £45.31 per person per week. When inflation is taken into account, the amount spent was 0.3 per cent more than 2016/17 and 3.8 per cent more than 2014. Household food and non-alcoholic drink purchases formed the largest share at £27.54 per person per week.

• In 2017/18 the percentage of spend on food and non-alcoholic drinks for the average UK household was 10.6 per cent, slightly higher than in 2016/17.

• For households with the lowest 20 per cent of income, the percentage of spend on food is the second highest at 15.2 per cent in 2017/18, after housing, fuel and power.

• On average households ‘traded up’ to more expensive products by 5.5 per cent on the unit prices paid for food between 2014 and 2017/18. This was possibly due to price decreases of 2.2 per cent. The lowest income households traded up by 5.6, but increased their consumption by less than the average household.

1.2 Food classification and results tables

Family Food classifies food items into a hierarchical coding scheme of approximately 500 different food codes. Full details of how food is coded and where it fits into the scheme are available in the methodology paper ‘Food and drink codes’. Because of space limitations, the data tables in this report generally only show selected food and drink items within the main categories. The accompanying spreadsheet datasets show results for the full list of codes, going back in most cases to 2001 and in some cases back to 1974. Historical estimates going back to 1940 in some cases are available from The National Archives.

1.3 Household spending on food

The average weekly expenditure in actual prices (not adjusted for inflation) on all household food and drinks in 2017/18 was £31.39 per person, an increase of 1.8 per cent on 2016/17. Total expenditure on household food and non-alcoholic drink increased by 1.1 per cent in 2017/18 to £27.54 and was 0.8 per cent higher than in 2014. While household food and drink expenditure has increased by 2.1 per cent since 2014, expenditure on food and drink eaten out has increased by 7.9 per cent.

Chart 1.1: UK average expenditure on food and drink, per person per week, 2017/18

Data for this chart is in the UK expenditure dataset, downloadable here. The specific data is available in csv format on the Family Food 2017/18 home page.

1.4 Trends in spending in real terms

Table 1.1 shows expenditure in real terms, with the values adjusted to remove the effects of inflation. The figures are derived by deflating expenditure at current prices by the all items Consumer Price Index.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 3.0 per cent between 2016/17 and 2017/18 and fell by 0.6 per cent between 2014/15 and 2017/18. Removing this overall rise in prices from the changes in expenditure on food and drink shows how expenditure in real terms has changed.

Since 2014, expenditure on household food and non alcoholic beverages in real terms has fallen by 0.8 per cent and eating out expenditure has risen by 8.8 per cent. Spending on alcoholic drinks for household consumption rose by 12.3 per cent over the same period, whilst alcoholic drinks bought for consumption outside the home rose by 5.1 per cent.

Since 2016/17 expenditure on all food and drink eaten out has fallen by 2.7 per cent. Expenditure on food and non alcoholic beverages has fallen by 3.0 per cent and expenditure on alcoholic drinks by 1.9 per cent.

Context: Food Prices

Food prices rose sharply during the economic crash in 2008, and in subsequent years, food price inflation was generally higher than overall inflation. Food prices are driven by a number of factors, but international commodity and oil prices and exchange rates are significant ones.

In 2014 the food price inflation rate (as measured by the Consumer Price Index) fell below overall inflation, and food prices actually started to fall as inflation fell below 0%. This trend continued throughout 2015 and 2016, but food prices began to increase again at the start of 2017.

In this section there are analyses of households’ responses to changes in food prices, including ‘trading down’ to cheaper products of the same type, and buying less. Family Food estimates generally show trends over the long term and short term spikes or depressions are smoothed out in the annual results. If the current short term picture with prices continues, as the sharp increases from 2007 did, then we can expect to see this reflected in shopping behaviour in future years.

Table 1.1: UK expenditure on food and drink in real terms, 2017/18^(a)(b)(c)

	1995	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015/16	2016/17	2017/18	% change since 2016/17	% change since 2014
CPIH All Items D7BT (2015 = 100)	67	86	88	90	94	96	98	100	100	101	104	0.0	0.0
Expenditure on household food and drink	32.41	30.80	31.53	31.71	30.99	31.60	31.51	30.75	30.32	30.84	31.39	1.8%	2.1%
Expenditure on food and drink eaten out	9.07	13.46	13.36	13.40	13.21	13.04	12.99	12.90	13.45	14.31	13.92	-2.7%	7.9%
Total expenditure on all food and drink	41.47	44.26	44.89	45.11	44.19	44.65	44.50	43.65	43.77	45.15	45.31	0.3%	3.8%
Expenditure on household food and non-alcoholic drink	25.88	27.65	28.12	28.17	27.58	28.04	28.09	27.32	26.92	27.24	27.54	1.1%	0.8%
Expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drinks eaten out	6.70	9.81	9.73	9.82	9.73	9.66	9.80	9.79	10.18	10.98	10.65	-3.0%	8.8%
Expenditure on all food and non-alcoholic drinks	32.59	37.46	37.86	37.99	37.31	37.69	37.89	37.12	37.10	38.22	38.19	-0.1%	2.9%
% eaten out	21%	26%	26%	26%	26%	26%	26%	26%	27%	29%	28%
Expenditure on household alcoholic drinks	2.79	3.15	3.40	3.53	3.40	3.57	3.42	3.43	3.39	3.60	3.85	7.0%	12.3%
Expenditure on alcoholic drinks eaten out	2.36	3.65	3.63	3.59	3.48	3.39	3.19	3.11	3.27	3.33	3.27	-1.9%	5.1%
Expenditure on all alcoholic drinks	5.16	6.80	7.03	7.12	6.88	6.95	6.61	6.54	6.67	6.93	7.12	2.7%	8.9%
% eaten out	46%	54%	52%	50%	51%	49%	48%	48%	49%	48%	46%

^(a) £ per person per week

^(b) 1995 Great Britain only.

^(c) Estimates on eating out in 1995 are based on National Food Survey which was considered less reliable.

1.5 Indicator of affordability of food

The relative affordability of food can be measured by the share of the household budget going on food, i.e. the percentage of total household spending that goes on household food purchases. If the percentage increases over time, food is placing a greater burden on spending. Low income households are of particular concern because they tend to have a greater percentage of spend going on food.

Table 1.2: Percentage of spend on food and non-alcoholic drinks

Year	Lowest 20% by equivalised income	All UK households
2006	15.6	10.3
2007	15.2	10.5
2008	16.8	10.8
2009	16.1	11.5
2010	15.8	11.2
2011	16.6	11.3
2012	16.2	11.6
2013	16.1	11.4
2014	16.4	11.1
2015/16	16.0	10.7
2016/17	14.3	10.5
2017/18	15.2	10.6

In the UK, an average 10.6 per cent of household spend went on food in 2017/18, while for the lowest 20 per cent of households by equivalised income it was higher at 15.2 per cent. Engel’s law is an observation in economics stating that as income rises the proportion of income spent on food falls, even if actual expenditure on food rises. Although these estimates are of proportion of expenditure not income, they are consistent with that observation.

Although the percentage of spend on food remains relatively constant, the actual amount spent, and the products purchased will change in response to relative prices. In 2017/18, the average food price inflation, measured by the CPIH, was 3.0 per cent.

1.6 Effects of food price rises

Food prices from 2014 to 2017/18

Food and non alcoholic beverage prices began rising from about July 2006, peaking in August 2008, before steadying at a new higher level until early 2014. Prices then decreased every month until early 2017 when prices began to go up again, peaking in November 2017.

On average, CPIH food and non alcoholic beverage prices rose by 3.0 per cent in 2017/18, above the CPIH all items rate of inflation which increased by 2.7 per cent, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Trading Down, Buying Less and Spending More

Households can react in many ways to food price increases - they may simply spend more, or buy less of a type of product. They may also ‘trade down’ by switching to purchases of cheaper products within a food grouping (see glossary for more detail). Family Food provides evidence based estimates of changes in shopping behaviour in response to higher prices.

For foods within a given food category, price changes are measured by the Retail Price Index, which contains a lower level of detail on food types than the Consumer Price Index or CPIH . Family Food measures the average price or unit price that households have paid for foods within a food code. The difference between the rise in price and the rise in unit price paid provides a way of estimating trading down. This is calculated by dividing (deflating) the rise in price paid by the actual rise in price for each food code.

Table 1.3 shows how consumers have reacted to price rises between 2014 and 2017/18 for different types of food and drink, including estimates of trading down. The table shows the true change in price and how the consumer has responded to this by a combination of buying less, spending more and trading down.

Table 1.3 Consumers’ response to food price rises 2014 to 2017/18, percentage changes

	Price change	Quantity purchased, All households	Quantity purchased, Income decile 1	Expenditure, All households	Expenditure, Income decile 1	Trading Down (a) (deflated unit value), All households	Trading Down (a) (deflated unit value), Income decile 1
Food	-2.2	1.3	2.0	4.6	5.3	5.5	5.6
Bread	-5.7	-5.0	-5.8	1.4	-9.2	13.3	2.2
Cereals	-3.4	3.9	-9.6	7.7	-2.2	7.3	11.9
Biscuits & cakes	2.7	3.4	14.5	6.1	17.9	-0.1	0.3
Beef	-2.7	-2.7	-19.9	-0.4	-21.0	5.2	1.3
Lamb	3.9	-3.3	-49.1	-6.7	-21.1	-7.2	49.3
Pork	-7.0	-17.3	-36.7	-19.6	-41.1	4.6	-0.0
Bacon	-11.4	-9.5	-4.0	-15.2	-15.8	5.7	-1.1
Poultry	-13.3	-1.3	-10.3	-3.6	-11.6	12.8	13.7
Fish	1.8	-3.6	-10.9	6.0	25.4	8.1	38.2
Butter	1.5	-13.1	18.2	-1.1	21.5	12.0	1.3
Cheese	-4.7	12.7	26.8	8.3	19.7	0.9	-0.9
Eggs	-16.8	6.5	7.6	0.5	-13.3	13.5	-3.0
Milk	-7.0	-3.4	5.6	1.2	17.8	12.7	20.0
Tea	0.5	-18.6	-42.2	-17.0	-42.9	1.5	-1.7
Coffee & hot drinks	6.7	-5.1	-4.3	5.7	16.7	4.4	14.2
Soft Drinks	-4.7	-2.5	-23.1	4.8	-26.3	12.8	0.6
Sugar & preserves	-4.9	-8.5	-15.3	-1.3	20.3	13.4	49.3
Sweets & chocolates	-0.1	5.1	-2.0	11.1	0.3	5.9	2.6
Potatoes	-6.8	-2.1	2.9	-9.4	-0.8	-0.7	3.4
Vegetables	-4.9	5.0	-0.5	4.9	-3.9	5.1	1.6
Fruit	4.3	0.1	11.9	13.0	30.9	8.3	12.2
of which fresh fruit	2.9	2.4	16.1	16.1	30.7	10.2	9.5
Alcoholic drinks	4.0	7.9	42.8	16.8	44.5	4.2	-2.6

^(a) a positive value indicates trading up

For example, for bread there was an increase in expenditure of 1.4 per cent for all households. The amount of bread purchased decreased by 5.0 per cent and all households increased their unit price paid (traded up) by 13.3 per cent. Thus the dominant response to the 6 per cent price drop of bread between 2014 and 2017/18 was to spend more money on purchases of bread.

Table 1.3 shows that on average UK households purchased 1.3 per cent more food in 2017/18 than in 2014 while spending 4.6 per cent more. Households in income decile 1 (lowest income group) spent 5.3 per cent more on food in 2017/18 than in 2014 and purchased only 2.0 per cent more.

Prices were at their highest point in recent years in 2014, dipped in 2016 and by the end of 2017/18 had nearly reached the 2014 level again. Food prices overall were 2.2 per cent lower in 2017/18 than in 2014, however many items have increased since 2014. All households and lower income households have increased both their consumption and their expenditure on food and have also traded up.

The trading down analysis does not capture instances where expenditure is switched to a completely different food type.

• On average households ‘traded up’ to more expensive products by 5.5 per cent on the unit prices paid for food between 2014 and 2017/18. This was possible due to price decreases of 2.2 per cent. The lowest income households traded up by 5.6, but increased their consumption by less than the average household.

• On average UK households spent 6.7 per cent less on lamb in 2017/18 than in 2014 for 3.3 per cent less product. Due to the price increase of 4.0 per cent they had to trade down by 7.2 per cent. This is the item that on average all households have traded down the most.

• Since 2014 households in decile 1 (lowest income group) have increased their expenditure on fish by 25.4 per cent while reducing their consumption by 10.9 per cent. As the price has only increased by 2.0 per cent this has allowed people to trade up by 38.2 per cent.

• Coffee and hot drinks is the item which had the highest price increase since between 2014 and 2017/18. All households and income decile 1 have reduced their consumption, but increased their expenditure resulting in both trading up.

Go to Family Food 2017/18: About Family Food

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2. Purchases

2.1 Overview

Comparisons over a long period of time provide a more reliable indication of change than a year on year comparison. Detailed long term time series are available for download. Family Food datasets cover household and eating out purchases for a detailed set of food and drink types, and breakdowns by a number of characteristics including region, income, household composition and occupation, amongst others.

Purchases of various household foods are on a clear short term downward trends, including milk and milk products, meat products, potatoes and bread.

Context: Purchases estimates

It is a widely recognised characteristic of self reported diary surveys such as Family Food that survey respondents tend to under report their purchases (and any derived nutrient intakes based on purchased quantities are also likely to be underestimates). Empirical comparisons of sales and duty data for alcohol in particular suggest that reported alcohol consumption could be 40-60 per cent lower than the reality. For other food and drink, reporting is likely to be closer to actual purchases, but under-reporting is likely to feature and some food types may be under-reported to a greater extent than others.

Although such surveys are completely confidential, respondents may under report for a range of reasons, from self consciousness to simply forgetting to record purchases. ‘Top up’ and eating out purchases are probably more likely to be missed than the main household shop. There is no evidence to say whether levels of under-reporting have changed over time but it is plausible that changes in household shopping and eating patterns may have contributed to increased under-reporting.

Users should bear this issue in mind, when considering trends in estimated intakes and the values for individual years. For example the downward trend in energy intake estimates can appear counter-intuitive at face value given other evidence on the prevalence of obesity. Factors affecting obesity and other health issues are complex. Family Food trends are broadly consistent with other sources, such as the National Diet and Nutrition Survey which also show reported energy intake in decline, although NDNS intakes are also known to be under-reported.

We have not produced a commentary on derived nutritional intake estimates in this report, although the data is published in our datasets

There are much more data and analysis available about health and diet from Public Health England.

2.2 Household purchases

Table 2.1 shows the main food groups examined in this section and contains an indication of those items where a statistically significant 4 year linear trend is evident. A detailed explanation of how these trends are calculated is available in the Methodology Papers.

Table 2.1: Quantities of household purchases of food and drink in the UK

Grams per person per week, except for liquids in millilitres, and eggs (number) ^(a)

Food group	Units	2012	2013	2014	2015/16	2016/17	2017/18	% change since 2016/17	% change since 2014
Milk and milk products (excluding cheese)	(ml)	1901	1847	1849	1807	1818	1786	-1.8	-3.4
Cheese		114	118	111	115	124	125	0.7	12.7
Meat		989	948	955	938	953	957	0.4	0.2
Fish		144	146	144	144	139	139	-0.4	-3.6
Eggs	(no.)	2	2	2	2	2	2	1.2	6.5
Fats		178	171	158	162	139	158	13.6	0.1
Sugar and preserves		124	123	109	107	107	99	-7.0	-8.5
Potatoes (fresh and processed)		724	682	671	675	634	669	5.5	-0.2
Vegetables (excluding potatoes)		1086	1102	1080	1117	1137	1134	-0.2	5.0
Fruit		1107	1114	1096	1092	1130	1097	-3.0	0.1
Bread		615	607	555	542	532	527	-0.9	-5.0
Cakes, buns and pastries		149	150	147	154	150	159	6.5	8.5
Biscuits and crispbreads		160	165	162	166	169	160	-4.9	-1.3
Other cereals and cereal products		542	549	560	565	562	582	3.6	3.9
Beverages		53	52	52	53	54	49	-8.7	-5.1
Soft drinks (b)	(ml)	1633	1664	1546	1522	1608	1508	-6.3	-2.5
Confectionery		126	128	130	134	130	137	5.5	5.1
Alcoholic drinks	(ml)	700	694	675	675	712	728	2.2	7.9

^(a) Milk and milk products excluding cheese, beverages, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks are measured in millilitres, eggs are counted individually.

^(b) Converted to unconcentrated equivalent by applying a factor of 5 to concentrated and low calorie concentrated soft drinks.

2.3 Home-grown food

In 2017/18, 3.0 per cent of fresh fruit and vegetables entering the household came from free sources, mainly gardens and allotments. This is up from 2.8 per cent in 2016/17. This percentage is subject to year on year fluctuations depending on growing conditions in the UK. In 2017/18, the percentage of eggs entering the household which were free or home produced was 3.3 per cent.

Table 2.2: Percentage of household food home-grown in gardens or allotments

	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015/16	2016/17	2017/18
Beans	29	33	28	29	28	29	16	31
Potatoes	2	7	3	3	3	4	4	4
Onions, leeks and shallots	3	4	3	4	2	5	5	3
Tomatoes	7	6	5	6	5	6	5	5
All other vegetables	3	4	3	3	3	3	2	4
Apples	10	9	3	8	6	12	6	5
Soft fruit	8	10	9	12	8	7	6	7
All other fruit	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	2
Overall percentage	3.6	5.0	2.7	3.5	2.8	3.8	2.8	3.0
Eggs	5.6	5.7	5.0	7.0	5.0	3.8	4.3	3.3

2.4 Takeaway food and drink

Takeaway purchases for consumption within the home are classed as household purchases (see Methodology Papers). Table 2.3 summarises the takeaway part of the major food groups. Between 2014 and 2017/18, purchases of takeaway food brought home have decreased by 0.8 per cent. Expenditure on takeaway foods was £2.09 per person per week in 2017/18, 14 per cent higher than in 2014.

Table 2.3 UK household quantities and expenditure on takeaway food brought home ^(a)

Purchases	2012	2013	2014	2015/16	2016/17	2017/18	RSE (b)	% change since 2016/17	% change since 2014
Total Meat	56	54	56	54	59	55	++	-5.9	-1.9
Total Fish	11	10	10	11	9	10	+	15.9	2.1
Total Vegetables	43	41	42	47	42	43	++	3.3	4.9
Total Bread	5	5	5	5	5	4	+	-2.0	-4.2
Total Other Cereals	44	41	41	48	47	40	+	-15.6	-2.5
Total Miscellaneous	2	2	2	3	3	3		19.1	28.9
Total	160	153	157	167	164	156		-4.7	-0.8

Expenditure	2012	2013	2014	2015/16	2016/17	2017/18	RSE (b)	% change since 2016/17	% change since 2014
Total Meat	72	73	77	75	90	87	++	21.5	22.4
Total Fish	18	18	18	21	17	20	++	-15.7	0.7
Total Vegetables	27	27	28	32	34	35	+	12.3	23.6
Total Bread	8	8	9	9	9	9	++	13.2	15.9
Total Other cereals	51	47	47	56	60	53	++	15.5	32.0
Total Miscellaneous	3	4	3	4	5	5	+	29.3	29.0
Total	179	177	183	196	215	209		-2.6	14.3

^(a) Purchases in grams per person per week, Expenditure in pence per person per week

^(b) Relative Standard Error: +++: < 2.5%, ++: 2.5% - 5%, +: 5% - 10%, no +: 10% - 20%, -: >20%

Go to the methodology page to learn more about how we produce Family Food

Go to Family Food 2017/18: About Family Food

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