Income and price elasticities of food items across the globe

Widely used global food demand elasticities often derive from outdated sources and insufficiently examined theoretical assumptions. This paper addresses both concerns by estimating a Rotterdam-style demand system for eleven food categories using pooled 2017–2021 International Comparison Program data covering 173 countries. We test structural stability across rounds, validate pooling, and conduct bootstrap likelihood-ratio tests of homogeneity, symmetry, preference independence, and no-price effects restrictions. Results reveal staples and vegetables are necessities while meat and alcohol are luxuries, with income sensitivity declining at higher incomes. Price sensitivity is substantially higher in low-income countries, highlighting their disproportionate vulnerability to food price hikes. Cross-price elasticities indicate dominant substitution relationships, especially among animal proteins. The resulting elasticity set can serve as an updated, empirically grounded input for global food policy modelling