Slovak Households Spending One-Fifth of Budget on Food, Among Highest in EU

Slovak households are allocating nearly 20 percent of their budgets to food, giving the country the fourth-highest share of food expenditure among European Union member states — a level not seen since the economically difficult 1990s. The trend has been worsening since 2016, leaving Slovak families with less money available for other expenses and savings. Economists generally consider food's share of household spending a key indicator of living standards: wealthier societies typically spend a smaller proportion of their income on food, as rising prosperity allows more spending on discretionary goods, services, and savings. The data highlights a concerning reversal for Slovakia, which has been one of the EU's faster-growing economies in recent decades but where many households are still struggling with the cost of basic necessities. A high food expenditure share suggests that price pressures — including inflation that has gripped much of Europe in recent years — are disproportionately squeezing Slovak consumers' purchasing power, pushing their financial situation back toward conditions that prevailed during the country's post-communist transition period in the 1990s.