How does your household food spend compare?
Published on:
22 June 2021
Last updated:
17 April 2023
Wine, bread and veg are among our biggest spends at the supermarket Last year, the average weekly family food shop was around £95.
The average spend on everyday items has been broken down in a report from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The report covers a huge range of expenditure, including food, transport and education - totalling an average of £481.50 a week.
Transport and housing come out as the biggest expenses, but we’ve delved into the food and drink figures to show you not just what we’re buying as a nation, but also how much we’re spending on it all. This data comes from Family spending in the UK: April 2020 to March 2021Opens in a new window review and includes food and drink consumed in the home, but excludes food and drink outside the home, domestic cleaning items, toiletries and medication.
What we buy
Obviously, we’re spending more on some products than others. We’re a country that loves carbs. Bread and biscuits, combined with pasta and rice, add up to £10.40 a month in total.
We spend more on sausages and other types of processed meat than anything else, while some items are costing us less because they’re generally quite cheap – eggs, tea and coffee for example.
Average spend on different types of food
|
Bread, rice and cereals |
4.10 |
|
Pasta |
0.40 |
|
Buns, cakes, biscuits etc |
2.90 |
|
Pastry (savoury) |
0.80 |
|
Beef |
1.40 |
|
Pork |
0.40 |
|
Lamb |
0.30 |
|
Poultry |
1.60 |
|
Bacon and ham |
0.60 |
|
Prepared, preserved and processed meat |
4.90 |
|
Fish and fish products |
2.30 |
|
Milk |
1.40 |
|
Cheese |
1.80 |
|
Eggs |
0.60 |
|
Yoghurt and other milk products |
1.90 |
|
Butter |
0.40 |
|
Margarine, vegetable fats and peanut butter |
0.50 |
|
Cooking oils and fats |
0.30 |
|
Fresh fruit |
3.30 |
|
Fresh vegetables |
3.50 |
How does your weekly spend compare?
Spending varies around the country. People in Northern Ireland have a weekly basket worth £65.10, while those in the North East of England spend just £57.10.
This doesn’t necessarily mean food costs more or less in different areas. Higher disposable income in the South East will account for some of the increased spend in this region.
Average household spend on food and non-alcoholic drinks 2019-21
|
United Kingdom |
64.90 |
|
England |
65.50 |
|
Northern Ireland |
70.00 |
|
Scotland |
60.10 |
|
Wales |
62.20 |
|
North East |
57.80 |
|
North West |
60.50 |
|
Yorkshire and the Humber |
57.30 |
|
East Midlands |
63.80 |
|
West Midlands |
63.00 |
|
East |
66.30 |
|
London |
74.00 |
|
South East |
72.80 |
|
South West |
63.90 |
Source: ONS Family spending in the UK: April 2019 to March 2021
The figures also show the variations in spend across the country on specific items. Despite being one of the biggest spenders on food each week, Londoners proportionally spend less on fizzy drinks than the other regions. You can find out more about how much people spend and what they buyOpens in a new window on the ONS website.
Household spending on fizzy drinks 2019-21
|
United Kingdom |
2.40 |
|
England |
2.30 |
|
Northern Ireland |
3.30 |
|
Scotland |
2.90 |
|
Wales |
2.40 |
|
North East |
2.60 |
|
North West |
2.30 |
|
Yorkshire and the Humber |
2.20 |
|
East Midlands |
2.30 |
|
West Midlands |
2.30 |
|
East |
2.40 |
|
London |
2.30 |
|
South East |
2.30 |
|
South West |
2.10 |
Source: ONS Family spending in the UK: April 2019 to March 2021
