Global Food Expenditure Patterns Diverge Between Low-income and High-income Countries

Overview

Journal Nat Food

Specialties Environmental Health
Nutritional Sciences

Date 2024 Jul 19

PMID 39030255

Authors

Wanqi Liang

Pathmanathan Sivashankar

Yunei Hua

Wenying Li

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Globalization, income growth and changing cultural trends are believed to prompt consumers in low-income countries to adopt the more affluent diet of high-income countries. This study investigates the convergence of food expenditure patterns worldwide, focusing on total food expenditure, raw food categories and ultra-processed foods and beverages across more than 90 countries over the past decades. Contrary to prior belief, we find that food expenditure patterns of lower-income countries do not universally align with those of higher-income nations. This trend is evident across most raw food categories and ultra-processed foods and beverages, as the income level of a country continues to play a crucial role in determining its food expenditure patterns. Importantly, expenditure patterns offer estimates rather than a precise idea of dietary intake, reflecting consumer choices shaped by economic constraints rather than exact dietary consumption.

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