Share of U.S. Consumer Spending: Food at Home

## What this measures

Food and drink bought to eat at home, as a share of all U.S. consumer spending.

## Why it matters

The falling share of groceries is one of the longest trends in household budgets.

## How to read it

It was 7.1% in the second quarter of 2026, the lowest since the series began in 1959, against 19.8% in early 1959 and 10.2% in early 1990.

## What it does not say

It covers all spending on behalf of households, including what employers and government pay for them (most health care is paid by insurers and Medicare), and spending by nonprofits that serve households. So it differs from what families pay out of pocket; for that, read the household.cex.share series. Shares are of nominal dollars, so a category whose prices rise faster gains share.

## Source

Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts Table 2.3.5, quarterly, via the FRED API, pulled nightly. Palanor divides food and beverages purchased for off-premises consumption (DFXARC1Q027SBEA) by total personal consumption expenditures (PCEC). BEA data are in the public domain.