In recent years, people have gotten used to ordering food or going out to dining spots. Even though people cook because it’s cheaper, most people would rather pay for served food without considering the cost.
All that food preparation and dirty plates left out in the kitchen sink is just too much. Everyone tends to avoid the unwanted mess of cooking that needs to be cleaned afterwards.
In this article, you’ll get familiar with the latest eating out vs. cooking at home statistics, the newest dining trends, the demographics of people eating out, etc.
So let’s dive in!
Top 10 Stats and Facts on Eating Out VS. Home Dining
- US citizens love to eat out, almost six times a week (5.9 times precisely).
- More than 30% of people in the USA cook daily.
- Millennials love to eat outside, above 70%.
- One out of ten Americans enjoys cooking.
- Eating out costs nearly five times more than home cooking.
- Most dining places serve food two to three times larger than the suggested serving size.
- This year’s global online food delivery revenue is nearly $130.2 billion (2022).
- The United Arab Emirates offers the most expensive dining experience.
- About two-thirds of the population now eats less food from locally owned dining venues.
- Eating fast food increases the risk of anxiety and depressive episodes by 51%.
Global Eating Out Statistics
Dining out seemed to be associated with wealth and social standing, but now it’s more about saving time than anything else.
Growth in technology and the food industry has made it possible to access restaurants and dining spots with a simple click.
We’re about to dig deeper into the global dining statistics, and we’ll find out what people do around the world when they’re hungry and whether cooking at home really saves money.
1. Food and beverage establishment sales in the US reached $773.55 billion in 2019.
(Statista)
Food service and drinking establishment sales in America have gradually increased over the last 30 years, reaching $773.55 billion just before the epidemic. Until 2020, people enjoyed eating out and experimenting with tastes.
Unfortunately, however, the food sales and delivery industry collapsed during the COVID-19 crisis, with sales plunging to $621.48 billion.
These days, most restaurants and dining places are open again, and everything’s getting back to normal.
2. In the last 15 years, spending money on eating out nearly doubled.
(On The Line)
According to a 2018 survey, the average American family spent nearly $3,500 on eating out or ordering takeout. People in the United States spend 94% more money than they did in 2003, according to an earlier study. As we can see, that’s almost double.
That’s why home cooking has fallen so low these days. Only 15% of people love to cook, 50% hate it, and 35% are undecided. The eating out vs. cooking at home cost study reveals that in most cases the price is not a problem at all.
3. A third of the population in the United States eats out at least once a week.
(QSR Magazine)
There has been a decrease in the amount of time people have to themselves in recent years. That’s one of the primary reasons people prefer to dine away from home. People who have children at home manage to treat themselves to a meal out once a week.
This percentage is very close to 72%. Speaking of eating out, restaurants and dining establishments are popular hangouts for millennials. That adds up to nearly a third of the United States’ total population, or 163 million people.
4. Spanish people prefer to dine out the most — 4.3 times a week.
(Prestige)
Based on the facts about eating out, couple of countries are similar. For example, Canadians and Americans eat out nearly the same number of times a week (3.8 and 3.6, respectively).
On the other hand, French people seem like they don’t go out that much and would rather eat home-cooked food (they eat out two times a week).
Finally, Spanish people seem the most willing to eat out compared to the other nationalities. They prefer to dine out approximately 4.3 times a week.
5. One member in half of the Australian families loves to use the takeaway service once a week.
(Future Food)
One interesting aspect of Australian culture is the “not wanting to cook at home” mentality. The average person spends $15.20 on dinner, according to statistics on eating out vs. eating at home.
Here, takeaway breakfast is common in Melbourne, while takeaway is more prevalent in Sydney for lunch.
6. The United Arab Emirates offers the most expensive dining experience.
(Prestige)
We mentioned earlier which country’s people love to eat out most, but when it comes to which country offers the most expensive plates, things turn out to be a little different.
Despite this, Spain doesn’t even reach the top 3 countries, as dining out stats reveal. There, the average cost of an average plate is nearly $8.6, which is pretty decent compared to $15.5 in the United Arab Emirates.
The cost of eating out is high not only in the United Arab Emirates but also in the UK, reaching $15.1. And last in the top 3 picks, France comes in third place, where an average meal out will cost you nearly $12.40.
Eating Out Fans’ Demographics
Once we’ve seen how people eat around the world, we can learn more about who goes out to eat, not just in the US but all around the globe. In other words, we can get to know the demographics of restaurant and dining spot lovers worldwide.
In this section, you’ll learn about the demographics of people eating out, the generation that eats out the most, and the one that prefers home cooking. Many questions and dilemmas related to the cost and the age-and-gender influence on eating out habits will be answered.
7. Of a thousand Americans, about 60 eat out daily.
(Yahoo Finance)
A study was conducted including 1000 adult US citizens who enjoy eating out.
Some preferred restaurants and dining places, while others managed to order their food via delivery service or pick up their meal via drive-thru.
56% of the group went out to get food 2-3 times a week; a dozen (10%) said that eating out was quite an enjoyable moment for them, so they ate out 4-6 times a week, as statistics on Americans eating out show.
A tiny portion (only 6%) didn’t like the concept of throwing money out for served food, so they cooked their food at home.
8. Nearly 54% of Generation Z are big fans of eating out.
(How To Cook)
More than 52% of this generation loves to spend their money ordering food or going to restaurants. With this, their expenditures come close to nearly $2,772 on an annual level, as eating out vs. cooking at home statistics show.
But things are slightly different when we look at the Silent Generation. They prefer spending money on home-cooked food and nearly two-thirds of their food budget goes on groceries and cooking products.
9. Only 3% of Indian out-dining fans prefer eating Japanese food.
(Posist)
Recently, India accepted new tastes in its restaurants so people could enjoy food from different parts of the world. While many people stick to the country’s traditional dining, there’s a group of Indian out-diners that loves eating from the foreign menu.
According to statistics on eating out vs. eating at home, around 5% of the Indian population enjoys the taste of Continental cuisine. An additional 4% of the out-eaters prefer Mexican food and cuisines from the Middle East, while only 3% lean towards Japanese cuisine.
10. More than 71% of Japanese enjoy dining out.
(Statista)
Following the latest eating out vs. cooking at home statistics, more than 71% of people eat out and enjoy the fast food menu and the cuisines from different parts of the world. The rest said they prefer cooking at home, as it’s not that expensive.
Dining spots like KFC, McDonald’s, and Mister Donut are the most popular choices.
FAQ
1. What percent of meals are eaten at home?
Following a recent study, we discovered that more than 80% of people prepare their meals at home. As a result, it appears that cooking at home is better for everyone. First and foremost, it’s the healthier option.
Second, it is significantly less expensive, and you can be sure what goes inside it.
(Food Network)
2. Is cooking at home cheaper than eating out?
In contrast to the $20.37 per meal average for out-dining, the average cost of a home-cooked dinner is only $4.31 per serving. With home-cooked meals, families save an average of $159.02 per month, compared to eating out or getting takeout food.
(Journey Foods)
3. What percentage of meals are eaten out?
Over a thousand adults were polled to find out how often they eat out, at restaurants, from takeout, or from home delivery services. There were 56% who said they ate out at least twice a week, 10% who said they dined out four to six times per week, and 6% who said they dined every day.
Regarding dining out, respondents with an annual income of $50,001 to $60,000 dined out an average of nearly four times a week.
(Yahoo Finance)
4. What’s the biggest food trend right now?
This year will be one of a kind following the latest dining out trends. Vegetables will reach their peak; they’ll be included in nearly every meal, and mushrooms will keep them company.
Also, fermented drinks are rising in popularity, but so are plant-based milk alternatives, with potato milk being the next big thing.
(Eat This)
5. How much does the average person spend eating out a month?
The average US citizen eats out 5.9 times per week. It’s estimated that an average family spends around $3500 a year dining out.
(YNAB)
Bottom Line
If you’re still unsure whether to cook at home or eat out, remember that while convenience is the main drive behind your frequent trips to restaurants, you’re losing both money and gambling with your health.
The only advice we can give you is to pick up some veggies, find some easy recipes that don’t require a lot of dishes to clean afterward, and oil up that pan.
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