VAT on staple foods to be reduced – annual expenditure amounts to around €1,480

As part of the current legislative changes, the federal government is planning a relief package that includes reducing VAT on “staple foods to just under 5 percent.” However, the exact list of products that will be affected has not yet been finalized.

On average, a person in Austria spends around €1,480 per year on all categories of staple foods. This figure includes everyday food items such as bread and cereal products, milk and dairy products, meat and fish, as well as fruit and vegetables. As announced yesterday, however, only a small portion of these product groups will actually be affected. Based on current information, the average savings per resident are expected to amount to approximately €2–4 per month.

This figure represents the average annual per-capita expenditure on staple foods in Austria and is based on “RegioData Consumer Expenditure 2025” per resident.