Retail sales value of food products in Hungary 2015-2023

The retail sales value of food products in Hungary increased gradually over the observed period of time. In 2023, food retail sales totaled 5.2 trillion forints, which accounted for nearly 29 percent of the country’s total retail sales.

Food consumption

Considering that typical Hungarian cuisine is predominantly based on meat and dairy products, it comes as no surprise that in 2020, 84 percent of Hungarians ate poultry meat regularly, and 67 percent of them consumed dairy products often. Over the past years, per capita meat consumption had increased in the country, reaching 69 kilograms as of 2019. Bread also plays an important role in Hungarians’ diet, as in 2020, the average per capita consumption totaled 35 kilograms.

Grocery shopping habits

As the results of a survey realized in 2020 pointed out, the most important factor for Hungarians when purchasing food products was the price, with a smaller share of the population choosing food safety, taste, or nutritious content as the most important criteria. When asked about the planned changes in their grocery shopping habits, 40 percent of Hungarians said they would pay more attention to promotions in 2021.