Journal of Rural Development
Age Effects of Household Members on Food Expenditure: Single-versus Multi-Person Households
-
AuthorPark, Jiyong
-
Publication Date2026.03.21
-
Original
This study examines how household age structure affects food expenditure patterns in South Korea, using data from 2010–2023 Household Expenditure Survey. We estimate an EASI (Exact Affine Stone Index) demand system separately for single-person and multi-person households to capture heterogeneity across household types. Improving on prior studies that proxy age effects solely by the age of the household head, we incorporate the age composition of multi-person households using the number of members in four age groups (children, young adults, middle-aged, and older adults). The results show that the relationship between total food expenditure and budget shares is nonlinear and more pronounced among single-person households. For single-person households, aging is associated with a clear shift in budget shares away from processed foods and toward fresh foods. For multi-person households, food expenditure patterns are shaped not only by the age of household head but also by household age composition, underscoring the importance of modeling full age structure. Individuals aged 50 and over exhibit more standardized consumption patterns, increasing the budget share of cooking-oriented foods and reducing that of processed foods, compared to the diverse behaviors observed among those under 40.
- Next
- Consumer Preferences and Market Potential for Low-Carbon Certified Hanwoo Beef
- Prev
- Life Planning and Public Judgment: A Multi-stage Analysis of Urban-to-Rural Migration