On the occasion of World Food Week and World Food Day 2010 (16 October) the NSO is publishing a set of numbers relating to food in Malta, with a focus on the economic aspects of consumption. This year, the Day’s theme devised by the United Nations is: "United against hunger."

Estimates of the outlay on food incurred by private households in the five years 2005-2009. In the latter year, food expenditure was estimated to have dropped by 3.9 per cent, to €606.6 million, over 2008. In 2009, the share of household expenditure on food was estimated at 15.1 per cent of total private final expenditure in the domestic market.

In the year under review, household spending was less on fish, bread and cereals, and meat. These dropped by €12.1 million, €5.7 million and €5.0 million respectively when compared to 2008. On the other hand, there was an increase in expenditure on vegetables and dairy products, of 2.3 per cent and 0.6 per cent respectively.

Current figures for 2009 put the value of imported foodstuffs at €387.4 million, a drop of 12.7 per cent when compared to 2008. The biggest decreases were recorded in fish (-45.5 per cent) and cereals (-25.4 per cent). Malta’s food exports had an estimated value of €69.6 million, a decrease of 57.0 per cent when compared to 2008.

Permalink: Households spent €606m on food last year – World Food Day