Nigerian households spent N22.78tn on food in 2019 – NBS

Households in Nigeria spent a total of N22.78 trillion on food in 2019, the National Bureau of Statistics has said.

The NBS, in a new report on consumption expenditure pattern, said the total household expenditure on food and non-food for 2019 was N40.21 trillion, compared to N21.62 trillion in 2009/2010.

“Of this total, 56.65 per cent (60.2 percent in 2009/10) of total household expenditure in 2019 was spent on food with the balance of about 43.35 percent (39.8 percent in 2009/10) spent on non-food items,” it said.

According to the bureau, food consumed outside the home, followed by transportation costs and starchy roots, tubers and plantains were responsible for the largest proportion of household expenditure, representing a combined 24.16 percent of total household expenditure in 2019.

It said various foods consumed outside the home, starchy roots, tubers and plantains, rice, vegetables, fish and sea food, grains and flours were the top food items households spent on in 2019.

They accounted for a combined 59.19 percent of food expenditure and 33.53 per cent of total household expenditure on food and 24.8 percent of total household expenditure, according to the NBS.

It said expenditure on non-food items were mostly on transport, health, education and services (which includes information technology and communication equipment, insurance and financial services), rent and fuel and light, which accounted for 79.40 percent of the non-food expenditure.