How Much Does The Average Singaporean Household Spend Each Month On Groceries?

With the current global pandemic ongoing, our lifestyle and habits have changed significantly as we learn to adapt to the new normal. According to April 2020 Retail Sales Index, when most of us were working from home last year, groceries sales increased by 30% month-on-month. As Singapore is currently in the middle of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) with no dining in options, our demand for groceries has returned once again.

As the sales continue to grow for our local supermarkets, you may be curious to know how much Singaporeans spend on groceries. To answer this question, we will be using data extracted from 2017/2018 Household Expenditure Survey to uncover Singaporeans’ monthly groceries expenditure.

Read Also: 5 Earning And Spending Trends We Learned About Singapore Households From SingStat’s Household Expenditure Survey 2017/18

The Average Singaporean Household Spends $388.70 Per Month On Groceries

Type of Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Total Amount (SGD$)

Total Percentage (%)

Bread and Cereals

$69.60

18%

Meat

$60.30

16%

Fish and Seafood

$57.30

15%

Milk, Cheese and Eggs

$42.00

11%

Oils and Fats

$7.70

2%

Fruits

$47.10

12%

Vegetables

$49.50

13%

Sugar, Jam, Honey, Chocolate and Confectionery

$13.30

3%

Food Products N.E.C

$14.20

4%

Coffee, Tea and Cocoa

$11.40

3%

Mineral Water, Soft Drinks, Fruit and Vegetable Juices

$10.40

3%

Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages N.E.C

$5.90

2%

Total

$388.70

100%

N.E.C = Not elsewhere classified

Source: 2017/2018 Household Expenditure Survey

The average Singaporean household spends about $388.70 each month on groceries. That is close to $400.

However, that is not the full amount Singaporeans are spending on food. The average Singaporean household spends about $1,199 a month on food and groceries, accounting for about 20% of the average household expenditure. With groceries accounting for 32% of the food expenditure, it does seem like Singaporeans prefer dining out or getting takeaways, over getting groceries for a home-cooked meal.

The information on 2017/2018 Household Expenditure Survey does not stop here. For each grocery segment, the Singapore Statistics Department breaks it down further into the different items households generally purchase.

Here, we will cover four interesting facts about our average household groceries expenditure.

Read Also: Singapore Inflation Rate In 2020: Here’s How Much Prices Of Everyday Goods And Services Have Increased

#1 We Spend More On Bread Than Rice

Looking at the first chart, you might be wondering which segment do “rice” falls into. For classification purposes, rice falls under “Bread and Cereals” as it is under the carbohydrate family.