US restaurant prices climbed 6.6% in 2023 while global online food delivery is projected to hit $182.2 billion in 2024, showing how quickly the way people eat is shifting. At the same time, 48 million foodborne illnesses are estimated each year in the US, reminding us that every “convenient” meal still has real-world risks. This post connects consumer behavior, kitchen tech, pricing, and food safety using the latest cooking and food-market data.
Key Takeaways
- US retail sales of food and beverages totaled $1,388.7 billion in 2023
- US sales of food services (restaurants and bars) were $997.0 billion in 2023
- Global retail market for food reached $8.2 trillion in 2022
- 63% of US consumers reported using video recipes or cooking content online
- In 2022, 66% of internet users in Germany ordered goods online, and 6% ordered prepared food online at least once a month
- In 2023, 44% of EU individuals reported buying prepared meals online in the past 12 months
- CDC estimated 48 million foodborne illnesses annually in the US (all pathogens)
- CDC estimates 128,000 hospitalizations annually in the US from foodborne diseases
- CDC estimates 3,000 deaths annually in the US from foodborne diseases
- US consumer price index for food at home rose 5.4% year-over-year in 2023
- Average retail price of chicken breast was $3.68/lb in 2023 (USDA data)
- Average retail price of ground beef was $5.50/lb in 2023 (USDA data)
- In 2023, global online grocery penetration reached 6.4% of grocery retail sales (industry estimates)
- In 2022, 54% of global internet users used at least one social media platform daily (DataReportal)
- In 2024, ChatGPT had 100 million weekly active users (OpenAI)
Online food and cooking content are booming, while foodborne illness and rising prices keep households focused on safer, smarter meal choices.
Market Size
1US retail sales of food and beverages totaled $1,388.7 billion in 2023[1]
Directional
2US sales of food services (restaurants and bars) were $997.0 billion in 2023[1]
Directional
3Global retail market for food reached $8.2 trillion in 2022[2]
Verified
4Global online food delivery market is forecast to reach $182.2 billion in 2024[3]
Directional
5Global meal kit delivery market size is forecast to reach $14.1 billion in 2024[4]
Single source
6Global home cooking and recipe content market (food media) is projected to reach $33.9 billion by 2029[5]
Verified
7France food sales in supermarkets totaled €132.0 billion in 2023[6]
Single source
8Italy restaurant and catering sales totaled €96.0 billion in 2023[7]
Verified
9In 2023, US food manufacturing sales were $1.0 trillion[8]
Verified
Market Size Interpretation
Across the food ecosystem, consumer spending is massive and shifting toward at-home experiences, with US food retail at $1,388.7 billion in 2023 alongside a forecast leap for global online food delivery to $182.2 billion in 2024 and home cooking and recipe content projected to reach $33.9 billion by 2029.
User Adoption
163% of US consumers reported using video recipes or cooking content online[9]
Verified
2In 2022, 66% of internet users in Germany ordered goods online, and 6% ordered prepared food online at least once a month[10]
Directional
3In 2023, 44% of EU individuals reported buying prepared meals online in the past 12 months[10]
Single source
4In 2023, 26% of EU individuals bought ready-to-eat food online at least once[10]
Verified
5In 2023, 29% of US adults used smart kitchen appliances[11]
Verified
6In 2022, 41% of households in Sweden cooked at home at least 6 days per week[12]
Verified
7In 2023, 57% of consumers in the UK used an online retailer for grocery staples[13]
Verified
User Adoption Interpretation
Across these markets, people are increasingly turning to digital and at-home solutions, with 63% of US consumers using video recipes online and 44% of EU individuals buying prepared meals online in 2023.
Performance Metrics
1CDC estimated 48 million foodborne illnesses annually in the US (all pathogens)[14]
Directional
2CDC estimates 128,000 hospitalizations annually in the US from foodborne diseases[14]
Verified
3CDC estimates 3,000 deaths annually in the US from foodborne diseases[14]
Verified
4CDC estimates 1 in 6 Americans get sick from foodborne disease each year[14]
Verified
5Foodborne pathogens cause 96% of foodborne disease burden in CDC estimates[14]
Verified
6In 2020, 4.7 million people were affected by foodborne diseases in the US (CDC estimate subset)[14]
Single source
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Even though about 1 in 6 Americans get sick each year, the CDC still estimates 48 million foodborne illnesses, leading to 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths annually, with foodborne pathogens responsible for 96% of the overall burden.
Cost Analysis
1US consumer price index for food at home rose 5.4% year-over-year in 2023[15]
Verified
2Average retail price of chicken breast was $3.68/lb in 2023 (USDA data)[16]
Verified
3Average retail price of ground beef was $5.50/lb in 2023 (USDA data)[16]
Verified
4Average retail price of eggs was $1.80/dozen in 2023 (USDA data)[16]
Verified
5In 2023, restaurant and other food service prices increased 6.6% (CPI)[15]
Verified
6US food price index increased from 2019 base by 18% by 2023 (USDA/ BLS series)[17]
Verified
7Gas cooking typically has lower fuel cost than electric cooking by 15%–25% (industry cost comparison)[18]
Verified
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In 2023, food costs rose sharply with the overall food at home CPI up 5.4% year over year and restaurant prices up 6.6%, while key staples like eggs at $1.80 per dozen and chicken breast at $3.68 per pound stayed at elevated levels and the broader food price index was 18% higher than its 2019 base.
Industry Trends
1In 2023, global online grocery penetration reached 6.4% of grocery retail sales (industry estimates)[19]
Verified
2In 2022, 54% of global internet users used at least one social media platform daily (DataReportal)[20]
Verified
3In 2024, ChatGPT had 100 million weekly active users (OpenAI)[21]
Verified
4In 2022, 33% of consumers used smart kitchen devices (survey)[22]
Verified
5In 2021, consumer spending on home cooking-related products increased 12% year-over-year (US retail)[23]
Verified
6In 2023, average US household size was 2.5 persons, impacting meal portioning and cooking behavior (Census)[24]
Verified
7In 2023, 21% of US adults reported being food insecure at some level (USDA)[25]
Verified
8In 2022, 10% of US adults were food insecure with very low food security (USDA)[25]
Single source
9In 2023, 7.1% of Americans were in SNAP households (USDA)[26]
Verified
10In 2022, 8.6% of US households participated in WIC (USDA)[27]
Directional
11In 2022, 12% of US households used food stamps to buy ready-to-eat foods (US survey)[28]
Verified
Industry Trends Interpretation
With global online grocery at just 6.4% of sales in 2023 while 54% of internet users were daily social media users and 33% used smart kitchen devices in 2022, the data suggests home cooking is increasingly shaped by digital habits and affordability pressures, underscored by 21% of Americans reporting some food insecurity in 2023.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
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APA
Christopher Morgan. (2026, February 13). Cooking Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cooking-statistics
MLA
Christopher Morgan. "Cooking Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/cooking-statistics.
Chicago
Christopher Morgan. 2026. "Cooking Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cooking-statistics.
References
- 1census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/pdf/ec_current.pdf
- 8census.gov/naics/?input=311
- 23census.gov/retail/index.html
- 24census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/families/households.html
- 2statista.com/statistics/202294/food-industry-market-size-worldwide/
- 3statista.com/statistics/654968/online-food-delivery-market-size-worldwide/
- 4statista.com/statistics/1001047/meal-kit-market-size-worldwide/
- 11statista.com/statistics/1191962/smart-kitchen-adoption-us-adults/
- 22statista.com/topics/4130/smart-home/
- 5marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/food-media-market-123918901.html
- 6insee.fr/en/statistiques/serie/001653241
- 7istat.it/en/
- 9nielsen.com/us/en/insights/report/2023/video-recipe-consumption/
- 10ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=E-commerce_statistics_for_individuals
- 12scb.se/en/finding-statistics/
- 13ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/retailindustry
- 14cdc.gov/foodborneburden/index.html
- 15bls.gov/cpi/
- 16ams.usda.gov/market-news/retail
- 17ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/
- 25ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics/
- 28ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-security-in-the-united-states/
- 18energy.gov/energysaver/
- 19planetretail.com/online-grocery-penetration/
- 20datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-global-overview-report
- 21openai.com/index/chatgpt/
- 26fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap
- 27fns.usda.gov/pd/wic-program