The cost of food consumption across socioeconomic groups in Switzerland: estimation of the price of a healthier diet and its impact on nutritional inequality

• Research unit: FSVO
• Project number: 5.17.01ERN

Key words (English)

Food consumption, diet costs, nutritional value socio-economic status

Key words (French)

Consommation de nourriture, coût de l’alimentation, valeur nutritionnelle, statut socioéconomique

Short description (English)

Swiss household spending on food accounts for 12.5% of expenditures but the economic impact of nutrition entails risk of acute or chronic illnesses. Hence researching the relationship between the costs of food consumption, nutritional quality and socioeconomic influences on food choice informs policy makers about its financial and social impediments. There is evidence that nutritious diets are more expensive and households with lower socioeconomic status spend less on food but relatively more on food of lower nutritional value. The research will contribute to our understanding of socioeconomic status and nutrition in Switzerland by utilising data on individual food consumption in the Menu-CH linked to household food expenditure and retail prices from the Swiss Household Budget Survey and Retail Scanner datasets. The estimation of the cost of individual food consumption, analysis of the relationship between food expenditures and nutritional quality, and socioeconomic differences in the cost and quality of food choices will be undertaken.

Short description (French)

La nourriture représente 12.5% des dépenses des ménages suisses, mais l’impact économique de l’alimentation des ménages est plus large de par son effet sur le bien-être, la santé et le risque de maladie. Pour élaborer des mesures visant à promouvoir une alimentation saine, il est essentiel d’étudier la relation entre le prix et la qualité nutritionnelle, et l’impact des facteurs socioéconomiques sur les choix de nourriture. Les régimes sains coûtent plus cher, et les ménages défavorisés ont des dépenses plus faibles, avec relativement plus de nourriture peu nutritive. Ce projet combinera les données détaillées de Menu-CH sur la consommation individuelle de nourriture, les données sur les dépenses de l’Enquête sur le budget des ménages, et des données de scanner sur les prix des produits. L’objectif est d’analyser la relation entre le coût et la valeur nutritionnelle de l’alimentation individuelle, et l’influence du statut socioéconomique du ménage et son environnent alimentaire. Le prix et la capacité des ménages à consommer un régime plus nutritif seront étudiés

Project aims (English)

To examine the contribution of food prices and choices on the nutritional quality and diet costs across households in Switzerland. To estimate the costs of daily food consumption and analyse how food costs are related to the nutritional quality of diets. To investigate how food expenditures vary across socioeconomic groups and its affect on socioeconomic inequalities in nutrtional intake. To estimate the price and preference for better quality nutrients and the sensitivity of demand for more nutritious foods across socioeconomic groups. To assess the cost-effectiveness of policies to achieve more sustainable diets including the financial impacts on household budgets of more nutritious diets.

Abstract (German)

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Abstract (English)

Related documents

• 5.17.01ERN DB Dusheiko [PDF] 343 kB