Spaniards among lowest spenders on fast food in Europe

 

Spaniards are among the Europeans who spend the least on fast food, according to a new study by the EAE Business School analyzing consumption habits in 2014.

Each person in Spain spends an average €42.60 a year on fast food, with only the Italians spending even less in Europe.

The reasons for the low figure are twofold, according to report author Marta Riera.

“The fast food market is smaller in Spain than in the rest of Europe, and we are also more aware of the importance of consuming healthy products; we have the Mediterranean diet, and we make less use of these kinds of places.”

At the same time, Spaniards spend more at each restaurant visit. The average amount of money spent in a fast food restaurant in Spain is €4.26, almost double that in the UK and Germany, and triple the cost in the United States.

Broken down by regions, consumers in the Balearic Islands, the Canaries and Madrid spend the most on fast food – €98, €61 and €50 per inhabitant per year, respectively – something the study attributes to the high amount of tourism in these areas.

Residents of Extremadura, La Rioja, Valencia and Aragon spend the least: between €20 and €30 a year.Between 2008 and 2014, fast food spending in Spain rose by a modest 5.73%, but the study predicts the amount will shoot up by around 50% in the next five years, taking into account the economic recovery, new and healthier product lines, home delivery services, higher prices and an increase in the number of establishments.

Hamburger, pizza and sandwich joints are the most popular venues with Spaniards, with burger chain McDonald’s leading the sector with a 40% market share and around 500 restaurants. It is followed by Burger King, sandwich chains Pans & Co and Rodilla, and KFC. These five firms account for 74% of the Spanish fast food market.

Around the world, the Japanese spend the most on fast food – an average €231.35 a year per inhabitant – followed by Americans and Australians. Indians spend the least: an average €9.30 a year.

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