Kathimerini Greece Newsroom
More and more households in Greece are relying on takeout, having food delivered as many as three times a week. Rising demand has also led to an increase in recent years of food service enterprises being established with the exclusive purpose of distributing ready meals, without having a dining area.
There are several reasons for this: Price increases in food service and served meals, less free time to cook and the massive penetration of online platforms for delivering ready-made food seem to be the key factors driving the skyrocketing of the delivery of ready-made meals.
According to a recent survey by the Research Institute for Retail Consumer Goods (IELKA), the average annual per capita expenditure on fast food or takeaway food came to 151.90 euros in 2023, up from €108.89 in 2022, recording a 39% increase.
Compared to as far back as 2009, when annual per capita spending on fast food and takeaway stood at €53.48, spending has almost tripled (a 184% increase).
At the same time, average annual per capita spending on dining is down 6% from 15 years ago, while compared to 2022 it has increased by 24%, a rise that is partly due to inflation. Spending on fast food is considered a subcategory of dining.
