The first report of the year by Eurostat, published on New Years Day is dedicated to how much Europeans spend on food and beverages.

Belgians spent 5.7% of their household expenditure eating out at restaurants and cafes in 2018. This is lower than the European average of 7%, according to Eurostat.

While Belgians tend to do more home cooked meals than the average European, Eastern European countries on average spend even less on eating out, with Romanians allocating on average only 1.9% of their household expenditure on eating-out, Poland at 3% and Lithuania 3.4%.

Income levels do not appear to be linked to the extent which people eat out, with Germans only spending 4.3% of their expenditure, the fourth lowest figure in the EU, despite earning some of the highest salaries in Europe.

However, climate does seem to be correlated with the figures to an extent. Six Mediterranean countries are ranked within the top 8 in Europe. Spain is at second place with 13%, Malta 3rd with 12.6%, and Greece 4th with 12.4% of household expendure dedicated to eating out. Ireland tops the list with 14.4%.

The Brussels Times