Globalization, income growth and changing cultural trends are believed to prompt consumers in low-income countries to adopt the more affluent diet of high-income countries. This study investigates the convergence of food expenditure patterns worldwide, focusing on total food expenditure, raw food categories and ultra-processed foods and beverages across more than 90 countries over the past decades. Contrary to prior belief, we find that food expenditure patterns of lower-income countries do not universally align with those of higher-income nations. This trend is evident across most raw food categories and ultra-processed foods and beverages, as the income level of a country continues to play a crucial role in determining its food expenditure patterns. Importantly, expenditure patterns offer estimates rather than a precise idea of dietary intake, reflecting consumer choices shaped by economic constraints rather than exact dietary consumption.

据信，全球化、收入增长和不断变化的文化趋势将促使低收入国家的消费者采用高收入国家更富裕的饮食。本研究调查了全球食品支出模式的趋同性，重点关注过去几十年来 90 多个国家的食品总支出、生食类别以及超加工食品和饮料。与之前的看法相反，我们发现低收入国家的粮食支出模式并不普遍与高收入国家一致。这种趋势在大多数生食类别和超加工食品和饮料中都很明显，因为一个国家的收入水平在决定其食品支出模式方面继续发挥着至关重要的作用。重要的是，支出模式提供的是估计值，而不是饮食摄入的精确概念，反映的是受经济限制而不是确切饮食消费影响的消费者选择。