Slow Growth in Food Spending Expected

In 1992, Americans spent for food $280 billion in focxi stores and another $183 billion in focxiservice establishments. Total real food expenditures, adjusted for inflation, grew 52 percent between 1970 and 1990. However, food sales are expected to grow more slowly during the 1990's and into the next century. Total real food spending is projected to grow only 31.1 percent between 1990 and 2010, mostly due to slowing overall population growth. Of this amount, spending for food at home is expected to grow 24.2 percent between 1990 and 2010, and expenditures on food away from home would grow 37.4 percent. While demographic changes have some impact, future per capita food spending will hinge on the growth in personal income and the aging of the U.S. population. These spending projections are based on combined estimated differences in per capita food spending by demographic groups, along with projected changes in those groups. Included are changes in the age distribution of Americans, regional migration, racial mix, as well as income growth (see box). The resulting changes in per capita food spending are combined with total population growth to assess the implications for future national food spending patterns.