Ready-meal purchases in the UK have changed substantially over the long term. Meat ready meals reached 182 g per person per week in FYE 2025, compared with 27 g in 1974, while vegetable ready meals reached 77 g and fish ready meals 49 g. The more detailed FYE 2024/25 estimates also show marked differences between countries, regions and household groups.
Contents
- Long-run UK trend
- Purchases across the UK
- Regional differences
- Income deciles
- Household composition
- Age of the household reference person
- How to read these figures
Long-run UK trend
The long-run figures from the UK government’s Family Food FYE 2025 report measure average household purchases per person per week. They show increases across all three published ready-meal categories between 1974 and FYE 2025.
| Ready-meal category | 1974 | FYE 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Meat ready meals | 27 g | 182 g |
| Vegetable ready meals | 10 g | 77 g |
| Fish ready meals | 23 g | 49 g |
Meat ready meals accounted for 182 g per person per week in FYE 2025. Vegetable ready meals accounted for 77 g, while fish ready meals accounted for 49 g. These are the report’s published ready-meal categories, so they should be read as a long-run series rather than assumed to match every category label in the detailed tables.
The earlier measurements were much lower for meat and vegetable ready meals. Meat ready meals were recorded at about 27 g per person per week in 1974, and vegetable ready meals at 10 g. Fish ready meals stood at 23 g in 1974 before reaching 49 g in FYE 2025. The figures describe household purchase quantities, not the number of individual products or meals eaten.
Purchases across the UK
The country-level estimates for FYE 2024/25 use more specific labels: complete meat-based ready meals, ready meals and other fish products, and vegetable-based ready meals and other vegetable products. The figures below come from the Cons_Country_202425_17Sep26.csv table.
| UK country | Complete meat-based | Fish products | Vegetable-based |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 79.0 g | 50.5 g | 77.2 g |
| Wales | 65.0 g | 30.5 g | 56.9 g |
| Scotland | 76.7 g | 48.4 g | 94.1 g |
| Northern Ireland | 108.7 g | 43.2 g | 73.3 g |
Northern Ireland had the highest reported purchase quantity for complete meat-based ready meals, at 108.7 g per person per week. England recorded 79.0 g, Scotland 76.7 g and Wales 65.0 g.
Scotland had the highest figure for vegetable-based ready meals and other vegetable products, at 94.1 g per person per week. England followed at 77.2 g, Northern Ireland at 73.3 g and Wales at 56.9 g. For ready meals and other fish products, England recorded 50.5 g, Scotland 48.4 g, Northern Ireland 43.2 g and Wales 30.5 g.
These country values are average household purchase quantities per person per week for FYE 2024/25. They are not retail sales totals, and the different table labels mean that the fish and vegetable measures include the additional products named in the source.
Regional differences
Regional estimates reveal a different pattern from the country comparison. The Cons_GOR_202425_17Sep26.csv table reports the following FYE 2024/25 averages for selected English regions.
| Region | Complete meat-based | Fish products | Vegetable-based |
|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 80.6 g | 56.3 g | 90.9 g |
| North West | 83.6 g | 45.5 g | 55.4 g |
| London | 46.0 g | 47.8 g | 85.7 g |
| South East | 106.8 g | 54.4 g | 87.9 g |
The South East had the highest complete meat-based ready-meal estimate among these four regions, at 106.8 g per person per week. The North West was next at 83.6 g, followed by the North East at 80.6 g. London’s estimate was 46.0 g.
For fish products, the North East recorded 56.3 g per person per week, ahead of the South East at 54.4 g, London at 47.8 g and the North West at 45.5 g. The North East also recorded the highest vegetable-based figure in this group, at 90.9 g, compared with 87.9 g in the South East, 85.7 g in London and 55.4 g in the North West.
The regional results illustrate why a single UK-wide average can hide meaningful differences. London had the lowest complete meat-based figure among these four regions but a higher vegetable-based estimate than the North West. The results are survey estimates for household purchases, not a ranking of regional supermarket sales.
Income deciles
The income comparison uses equivalised income deciles, which group households according to equivalised income. The Cons_EID_202425_17Sep26.csv table provides selected FYE 2024/25 estimates.
| Income group | Complete meat-based | Fish products |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% | 78.5 g | 58.9 g |
| Decile 3 | 100.6 g | 54.4 g |
| Decile 6 | 104.7 g | 47.9 g |
| Decile 9 | 67.7 g | 44.8 g |
| Highest 10% | 94.8 g | 64.0 g |
The highest 10% of households by equivalised income recorded 94.8 g of complete meat-based ready meals per person per week and 64.0 g of ready meals and other fish products. The lowest 10% recorded 78.5 g and 58.9 g respectively.
The selected deciles do not form a simple steadily rising or falling sequence. Income decile 6 had the highest listed complete meat-based figure, at 104.7 g, while decile 9 had the lowest, at 67.7 g. For fish products, the highest 10% recorded 64.0 g, compared with 44.8 g in decile 9. These are group averages for FYE 2024/25, not evidence that income alone causes a household’s purchase pattern.
Household composition
Household structure is associated with some of the largest differences in the supplied estimates. The Cons_HHCOMP_202425_17Sep26.csv table reports these FYE 2024/25 averages.
| Household composition | Complete meat-based | Vegetable-based |
|---|---|---|
| 1 adult | 180.1 g | 109.9 g |
| 2 adults | 100.5 g | 90.9 g |
| 2 adults and 1 child | 55.6 g | 67.3 g |
| 2 adults and 2 children | 38.2 g | 51.6 g |
| 3 adults | 67.6 g | 86.3 g |
One-adult households recorded 180.1 g of complete meat-based ready meals per person per week, compared with 100.5 g for two-adult households. The one-adult estimate for vegetable-based ready meals and other vegetable products was 109.9 g, while the two-adult estimate was 90.9 g.
Households with children had lower complete meat-based estimates in the listed groups: 55.6 g for two adults and one child, and 38.2 g for two adults and two children. Their vegetable-based estimates were 67.3 g and 51.6 g respectively. Three-adult households recorded 67.6 g for complete meat-based ready meals and 86.3 g for vegetable-based ready meals and other vegetable products.
Because the figures are expressed per person, household composition matters when interpreting them. They describe average quantities per person per week within each group, rather than total quantities purchased by a household.
Age of the household reference person
The age table groups households by the age of the household reference person. The Cons_AgeHRP_202425_17Sep26.csv estimates cover FYE 2024/25.
| Age of reference person | Complete meat-based | Fish products |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | 46.0 g | 28.6 g |
| 30–39 | 62.4 g | 28.5 g |
| 40–49 | 51.7 g | 35.5 g |
| 50–64 | 80.3 g | 56.2 g |
| 65–74 | 122.7 g | 64.7 g |
Households with a reference person aged 65–74 recorded the highest listed quantities for both categories: 122.7 g of complete meat-based ready meals and 64.7 g of ready meals and other fish products per person per week. The corresponding figures for households with a reference person under 30 were 46.0 g and 28.6 g.
The 50–64 group recorded 80.3 g of complete meat-based ready meals and 56.2 g of fish products. For the younger groups, the 30–39 category recorded 62.4 g of complete meat-based ready meals and 28.5 g of fish products, while the 40–49 category recorded 51.7 g and 35.5 g. The age pattern is therefore not identical across the two categories: the 30–39 group had the highest meat-based figure among the three younger groups, while the 40–49 group had the highest fish-products figure among them.
How to read these figures
The Defra Family Food estimates are average household purchase quantities per person per week, measured in grams. Unless another period is stated, the detailed country, regional and demographic figures refer to FYE 2024/25; the long-run comparison uses 1974 and FYE 2025. The detailed codebank labels distinguish complete meat-based ready meals, fish ready meals and vegetable-based ready meals or products, while the long-run report uses its published ready-meal categories.
Regional and demographic figures are survey estimates, not sales totals. Values taken from the detailed codebanks are rounded to two decimal places in the underlying presentation used for these comparisons. For that reason, the figures are most useful for describing differences between household groups and periods, while keeping their measurement scope and category definitions in view.