Americans Food Budget Declines 43 Percent Since 1960

WASHINGTON, DC – Back in 1960, the typical American spent almost 17 percent of their disposable personal income on food. Forty years later, in 2000, Americans spent a fraction of their income on food (9.9 percent). According to the Economic Research Service at USDA, that share of the food dollar in 2018 has fallen to 9.7 percent. The decline over the past six decades has come from Americans spending less of their incomes on food at home (food purchased from supermarkets, convenience stores, warehouse club stores, supercenters, and other retailers). The share spent on food at home has fallen from 13.3 percent in 1960 to 5 percent in 2018. In contrast, the share spent on food away from home (food purchased from restaurants, fast-food places, schools, and other away-from-home eating places) has increased from 3.6 percent in 1960 to 4.7 percent in 2018.