Skip to content
Search dst.dk

    Eating habits and food waste

    How are the meal and eating habits in Denmark? How many are vegetarians? How much food is wasted in Denmark?

    Note: Below, we provide links to Statistics Denmark and others who make statistics on the subject. In some instances, the sources referred to below have content in Danish only or limited content in English.

    In Statistics Denmark’s StatBank Denmark, you will find a table from the Household Budget Survey on "Household average consumption by group of consumption and price unit" that allows you to see the Danish consumption in DKK on various foods and drinks, e.g. coffee.

    The National Food Institute under the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) runs surveys on dietary habits in Denmark, nationale kostundersøgelser (DANSDA) (in Danish) - currently DANSDA 2021-2023 is in progress.

    The National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) has prepared a national health profile “Den Nationale Sundhedsprofil 2021”, which includes information on dietary habits:

    The DTU National Food Institute has published an article comparing sales of sweets, chocolate, soft drinks and squash in Denmark with those in other countries: 

    The National Institute of Public Health has previously examined the population’s consumption of unhealthy foods - befolkningens indtag af usunde fødevarer (in Danish):

    The Danish Agriculture & Food Council also makes consumer analyses (in Danish) – e.g. on the use of cook-at-home meal kits (2021), convenience foods (2020) and takeaway (2018).

    Madkulturen is an independent institution under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark working to promote a healthy food culture in Denmark. The institution makes annual surveys of the population’s food and meal habits:

    • The reports (in Danish) include information on the choice of ingredients, dietary principles and grocery shopping - including the use of cook-at-home meal kits.

    How many drink coffee, tea, beer, soft drinks or bottled water?

    Trade organisations have information on the consumption of different types of drinks:

    At Statistics Denmark, you can find information on sales of alcohol per head - disaggregated on beer, wine and spirits.

     

    How many are vegetarians? And how many live on a strictly vegan diet?

    In 2017-2022, the Danish Vegetarian Association - in collaboration with Coop Analyze - has carried out a study on the vegetarian environment in Denmark (in Danish).

    How much food is wasted in Denmark?

    In the 2020 and 2022 editions of Statistics Denmark’s annual survey on "ICT usage in households and by individuals“ (summary in English), people were asked e.g. about their use of apps to reduce food waste.

    The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen) has focus on food waste:

    One\Third is a think tank on Prevention of Food Loss and Food Waste. The think tank belongs under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark and makes surveys on food waste and food loss – e.g. how many packed lunches are thrown out. One of their publications is an analysis of food waste fractions in household waste:

    In 2018, the Danish Agriculture & Food Council published a report collecting the results of recent analyses and consumer surveys on the food waste of Danish consumers:

    "Madspild hos de danske forbrugere“ (in Danish)

    [This page was last reviewed in January 2023]

     

     

    Contact

    Informations­service og Bibliotek