CANBERRA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Australians purchased more fruit but fewer vegetables in the 2024-25 financial year, with vegetable consumption falling to its lowest level in seven years, according to official data released on Friday.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said fruit consumption rose 1.4 percent from the previous financial year, driven mainly by oranges, kiwifruit and grapes, while vegetable consumption declined 1.7 percent.
Australians bought an average of 181 grams of vegetables per person per day, down from 184 grams a year earlier and to the lowest level in the seven-year data series.
The largest declines were recorded for avocados, down 12 percent, followed by pumpkins at 8 percent and peas and beans at 7 percent.
The ABS said Australians purchased an estimated 15.6 million tonnes of food and non-alcoholic beverages through the retail sector in 2024-25, up 2.2 percent year on year.
More than three-quarters of the increase came from non-alcoholic beverages and milk products.
Bottled water consumption rose 5 percent, while energy drink consumption surged 18 percent. Energy drink consumption has increased by more than 80 percent since 2018-19, according to the ABS.
Meanwhile, purchases of regular breads and bread rolls fell 4.2 percent, while those of sausages and processed meats declined 6.7 percent. ■
