A survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that Nigerians spent about ₦22.8 trillion on food in 2019.
The figure represents 57 per cent of the total spending (N40.2 trillion) by Nigerians for that period.
The report which contained in the bureau’s Nigeria Living Standard Survey (NLSS) conducted between September 2018, and October 2019, across 36 states and the FCT, from which a sample size of 22,110 households was published this month.
According to the survey, N4 trillion which formed a chunk of the food expenditure was spent on food consumed outside the home.
These included food bought from restaurants, bars, roadside joints, among others.
Starchy roots, tubers like yam, potatoes and plantain were the next most consumed food items at ₦2.5 trillion, followed by rice, ₦1.9 trillion and vegetables, ₦1.7 trillion.
Ranked among the least bought food items, beverages cost Nigerians ₦296.6 billion; confectioneries, ₦205.5 billion and bottled and canned alcoholic drinks, ₦150.2 billion.
Non-food expenditure
Data from the survey show that Nigerians spent about ₦17.4 trillion (about 43 per cent of their spending) on non-food expenses in 2019.
Transportation (₦2.6 trillion), health (₦2.5 trillion), education (₦2.4 trillion) and telecommunication services (₦2.2 trillion) top the list in this category.
Other expenses incurred by Nigerians during the period under review include rent (₦2.1 trillion), fuel and light (₦2 trillion), clothing and footwear ₦1.8 trillion, household goods (₦1.1 trillion), entertainment (₦428.2 billion), water (₦197.6 billion).
Further breakdown
On a regional basis, the south-west recorded the highest overall household expenditure as well as the highest expenditure on food and in non-food categories, while the north-east (excluding Borno) recorded the lowest.
Overall, the report showed, the south-west at about 29.95 per cent of total expenditure, south-south at 20.94 per cent and north-west at about 17.02 per cent recorded the highest expenditure in 2019. These three regions accounted for over 67 per cent of the total consumption expenditure in Nigeria in 2019.
State-wise, Lagos recorded the highest consumption expenditure at ₦5.1 trillion (13 per cent of Nigeria’s), followed by ₦2.3 trillion (5.83 per cent) in Oyo, Delta’s ₦2.1 trillion (5.38 per cent), Rivers, ₦2 trillion (4.99 per cent) and Kano State ₦1.97 trillion (4.91 per cent).
Yobe (₦420 billion), Nasarawa ₦383.6 billion, Ebonyi ₦310.2 billion and Taraba ₦297.4 billion all sit beneath the pecking order.
With Premium Times report
