Trends in food prepared outside the home in some Asian countries

Abstract Urbanization and increasing income per capita in Asian countries are leading to an increasing opportunity cost of time and increasing consumer demand for easier food preparation. One manifestation of this shift in demand is an increase in eating food prepared outside the home. The objectives of this paper are (a) to gather and analyze data on trends in expenditures on food prepared away from home and (b) to understand how these trends might be affecting estimates of rice consumption. The data from national household surveys of seven countries (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam and China) were analyzed. The results suggest a positive income elasticity of demand in urban areas and for most countries in East and Southeast…