Households spent 318 euro a month on food, most of it on meat and dairy products

In 2025, mean monthly household expenditure on food reached 318 euro per household, or 151 euro per household member. Over the past six years, household expenditure on food increased by 53.5 %, although food prices rose even faster, outpacing the rise in expenditure on food by 3.8 percentage points. The largest shares of food expenditure went on meat and preparations of meat (17.0 %), milk, other dairy products and eggs (17.0 %), as well as cereals and cereal products (12.3 %).

Households of older residents spent almost one third of their total expenditure on food

Households of older people allocated the largest shares of their consumption expenditure to food and non-alcoholic beverages, while households with children the smallest. In 2025, households with a single person aged 65 or over spent 30.4 % of their total consumption expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages, while in households where all members were aged 65 or over the share was 30.1 %. Smaller shares were recorded for couples with children (20.8 %), one adult with children (22.1 %) and other households with children (23.2 %).

CSB estimate

Meat and dairy products make up the largest shares of food expenditure 

Latvian households spent the largest shares of their monthly food expenditure on meat and preparations of meat as well as on milk and dairy products. In 2025, meat and preparations of meat made up 17.0 % of food expenditure, or 25.72 euro per household member monthly, and the same share went on milk, dairy products and eggs, or 25.66 euro per household member. Relatively large shares also were spent on cereals and cereal products (12.3 % or 18.51 euro) as well as vegetables, tubers and pulses (11.7 % or 17.72 euro).

Urban households consume more cheese, kefir and yoghurt; rural households more eggs and potatoes

Rural households consumed considerably more eggs than urban households (205 eggs per household member per year in rural areas and 186 in urban areas), as well as potatoes (48.1 and 33.1 kg respectively), milk (38.2 and 34.8 l), fresh pork (18.4 and 11.1 kg), bread (30.4 and 25.1 kg), canned vegetables (12.1 and 8.9 kg), cucumbers (11.2 and 9.1 kg), and carrots (9.2 and 6.7 kg). Rural households also consumed more sugar (11.3 kg per household member per year, compared with 7.9 kg in urban areas).

Urban households, meanwhile, consumed relatively more food products typically purchased from retail outlets: cheese (14.8 kg per household member per year in urban areas and 12.3 kg in rural areas), kefir and yoghurt (26.3 and 25.4 l respectively), poultry meat (11.2 and 9.4 kg), ready-made food (17.2 and 14.2 kg), citrus fruits (11.9 and 8.3 kg), apples (11.7 and 10.0 kg), bananas (11.0 and 7.5 kg), and coffee (2.9 and 2.6 kg).

Consumption of eggs, potatoes, milk and bread has fallen over the past six years

Over the past six years, consumption of several products that used to be consumed more widely has declined. Measured per household member per year, egg consumption fell from 210 in 2019 to 192 eggs in 2025, potato consumption from 47.9 to 37.4 kg, milk from 40.7 to 35.7 l, bread from 31.7 to 26.6 kg, fresh pork from 16.4 to 13.2 kg, and fish, fresh and smoked, from 10.3 to 7.6 kg.

At the same time, households consumed more water (36.5 l per household member per year in 2019 and 57.7 l in 2025), soft drinks (15.2 and 23.8 l respectively), yoghurt and kefir (18.2 and 26.0 l), ice cream (3.7 and 5.8 l), and cheese (13.0 and 14.1 kg).

Almost four fifths of food expenditure goes on food bought in shops and markets

Households obtain food in several ways: by purchasing it in shops, markets and other retail outlets; by producing or otherwise obtaining it themselves, for example from the family garden, forest, hunting or fishing, or from relatives and friends free of charge; and by purchasing meals away from home, ordering food for delivery or using takeaway services.

In 2025, almost four fifths of total food expenditure went on food purchased in shops, markets and other retail outlets, with mean monthly expenditure amounting to 142 euro per household member. Meals away from home, food delivery and takeaway services accounted for 30 euro, while food in kind amounted to 8.5 euro in monetary terms.

CSB estimate

More detailed data on household consumption expenditure are available in the official statistics portal section Household expenditure and consumption.

Methodological information

Data were collected in the 2025 Household Budget Survey (HBS), conducted by the CSB among 2 063 householdsand carried out in Latvia every five years. The HBS is conducted in all European Union countries in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 and the related delegated and implementing regulations. The common requirements ensure international comparability of data and provide information for national and European social policy, as well as for monitoring changes in household consumption patterns.

The HBS provides information on the amount and structure of household consumption expenditure at national and regional level, in urban and rural areas, as well as across different types of households.  The data are also used to calculate consumer price index (inflation), estimate gross domestic product and analyse household food consumption. Structure of consumption expenditure is one of the key indicators characterising population welfare.

HBS data therefore provide an important basis for analysing household consumption patterns, quality of life and economic inequality, both nationally and internationally. The data are also used in developing social policy and social assistance programmes, to support low-income families and design measures to reduce poverty.

More detailed information on the Household Budget Survey methodology is available on the Eurostat website. 

Media requests:
Public Relations Section
Email: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666

More information on the data:
Kristīne Gruzinska
Social Statistics Department
Email: Kristine.Gruzinska@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366904