Key facts
- US households spent an estimated $895.7 billion on food at home (groceries) in 2025.
- Grocery stores sold $683.4 billion in January to September 2026, up 1% on a year earlier.
- In India, households spend an estimated ₹1,09,169 crore a year on bread, biscuits, cakes and pastries.
- India has about 1.99 crore small businesses in retail trade.
These grocery industry statistics bring together official data on grocery store sales, what households spend on food at home and on each food group, and India’s food retail and food businesses. Every figure links to its source page, with the original agency release.
Published November 2026. Sources: the US Census Bureau, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and India’s Ministry of Statistics (MoSPI); the full list is at the end. Market size figures are Advanton estimates from official data; see each source page for the method.
Sales and household spending in the US
Table of Contents
- Grocery stores had sales of $683.4 billion in January to September 2026, up 1% on the same months of 2025 (Census Bureau, not adjusted for prices). Source page
- Food and beverage stores had sales of $751.7 billion in January to September 2026, up 0.9% on the same months of 2025 (Census Bureau, not adjusted for prices). Source page
- In total, US households spent an estimated $895.7 billion on food at home (groceries) in 2025 (average spending per household times about 138 million households). Source page
- The average US household spent $6,491 a year on food at home (groceries) in 2025, 23.4% more than in 2021 ($5,259). Source page
- The average US household spent $741 a year on cereals and bakery products in 2025, 10.3% more than in 2021 ($672). Source page
- The average US household spent $1,579 a year on meats, poultry, fish and eggs in 2025, 41.6% more than in 2021 ($1,115). Source page
- The average US household spent $644 a year on dairy products in 2025, 30.9% more than in 2021 ($492). Source page
- The average US household spent $988 a year on fruits and vegetables in 2025, 4.4% less than in 2021 ($1,033). Source page
- The average US household spent $2,539 a year on other food at home in 2025, 30.4% more than in 2021 ($1,947). Source page
The market in India
- Bakeries and specialty food businesses: Indian households spend an estimated ₹1,09,169 crore a year on bread, biscuits, cakes and pastries. Source page
- Ice cream and dessert shops: Indian households spend an estimated ₹81,982 crore a year on milk-based sweets, other prepared sweets and ice cream. Source page
- Dairy and milk booths compete for household spending on milk and milk products: about ₹6,83,352 crore a year in India, a pool shared with other businesses, not the market of any one of them (estimate). Source pages: Dairy and milk booths
- Butcher shops compete for household spending on egg, fish and meat: about ₹3,71,653 crore a year in India, a pool shared with other businesses, not the market of any one of them (estimate). Source pages: Butcher shops
Small businesses in India
- Retail trade: about 1.99 crore small businesses in India, 48.0% of them in towns and cities; a typical urban one adds about ₹3,13,011 of value a year, a rural one ₹1,61,621 (MoSPI, ASUSE 2023-24). Source page
- Food products manufacturing: about 21.8 lakh small businesses in India, 37.7% of them in towns and cities; a typical urban one adds about ₹4,39,316 of value a year, a rural one ₹2,02,804 (MoSPI, ASUSE 2023-24). Source page
How to cite these statistics
You are welcome to use these figures in articles, reports and client content. Credit the original agency and link to the Advanton page you used, for example: "US households spent an estimated $895.7 billion on food at home (groceries) in 2025 (via Advanton)." Each source page has ready-made APA, MLA and Chicago citations, a chart you can embed and the data as a download. See how to cite Advanton and our guide for SEO agencies and content teams.
Read the numbers carefully
- Dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation unless stated; compare growth with price rises before calling it real growth (why it matters).
- India’s spending pools are shared: where several kinds of business compete for the same household spending, the pool is not the market of any one of them (why it matters).
More industry statistics
- All industry statistics and market size estimates for 200 business types
- Data stories: surprising findings from the same data
Sources
- Advanton estimate from MoSPI HCES 2023-24 (household spending), population projections for 2025 and MoSPI ASUSE 2023-24 (unincorporated enterprises)
- Advanton estimate from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey (average spending per consumer unit × number of consumer units)
- MoSPI, Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) 2023-24, full report, Appendix A Tables 4, 29, 33, 35 and 37 (survey period October 2023 to September 2024)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures—2025 (news release USDL-26-1619, 29 October 2026), tables 1 to 3; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer expenditures in 2024 (BLS Report 1119, August 2026), tables 1 and 2
- U.S. Census Bureau, Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services, September 2026 (release CB26-165, 15 October 2026), tables 1 and 2
Last reviewed November 13, 2026. Startup costs are estimates; check local prices, licensing and tax rules before you commit money.