Food Demand Meta-Elasticities (FDME) Database

The Food Demand Meta-Elasticities (FDME) database is a combination of three inter-related datasets of food demand elasticities. All three datasets are based on the results of a comprehensive global systematic literature review and meta-analysis of income and price elasticities compiling over 13,000 elasticity estimates from 215 peer-reviewed studies published between 1974 and 2022. The final meta-sample covers 57 countries and includes 6,572 income elasticity estimates and 6,701 price elasticity estimates. The Meta Sample datasets provide the compiled meta-sample of all elasticities along with detailed information on their data characteristics and estimation methods. The meta-sample data is also merged with country-level sociodemographic indicators. The Predicted Elasticities datasets provide population-weighted average predicted income and price elasticities estimated for nine food groups by world region as of 2021. Estimations are conducted based on the results of meta-regressions. Projected Elasticities provide projected income elasticities estimated up to 2050 based on the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) (O’Neil et al., 2014) allowing elasticities to evolve in line with scenario-based projections of sociodemographic characteristics. Full details of the meta-analysis, prediction, and projection methodologies can be found in Roche et al., 2025.