The Portuguese are the European Union’s keenest purchasers of food and soft drinks, considering annual household spending, according to European Union statistical agency Eurostat.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Portugal’s consumers devoted 18.5% of their spending on food and non-alcoholic drinks in 2001 and 2000 – the latest available comparative statistics.


Second were the Greeks – 16.9%, and Spain third – 15.2%, reflecting common patterns about poorer countries spending comparatively more on food.


Among richer EU countries the highest spenders were the French and Italians at 14.4%. Across the EU, the lowest spending country was Britain – 9.7%, with Ireland second lowest at 10.7%.


Other results were Belgium 13%, Denmark 12.9%, Finland and Sweden 12.8%, Austria 12.6%, Germany 12.3% and the Netherlands 11.6%.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact