18+ Food Delivery Statistics [2023]: Online Ordering Industry Numbers You Need To Know

Research Summary.When it comes to eating out, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some drastic changes to the food delivery industry. More and more restaurants offer food delivery services, while apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats rake in the cash. Given this immense growth, this article will dive into the current state of the food delivery industry in 2021. According to our extensive research:

• 60% of Americans order delivery at least once per week.

• Online food ordering has grown 300% faster than dine-in since 2014 and now accounts for roughly 40% of the total restaurant sales.

• Market revenue for the food delivery industry has increased by 204% in the past five years.

• The average American spends $67 on takeout per week.

• From 2019-2020, U.S. food delivery revenue increased by 17%, from $22 billion to $26.5 billion.

1. For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
   Consumer Ordering Preferences | Delivery vs. Dine-in | Grocery Delivery | Trends + Projections
   

   U.S. Food Delivery App Users 2015-2020

   Year	Number Of Users
   2020	111 million
   2019	95 million
   2018	88 million
   2017	81 million
   2016	75 million
   2015	66 million

   General Food Delivery Industry Statistics

   No doubt, the height of the pandemic had a significant effect on the food delivery industry. More and more people are ordering online instead of sitting down to eat, even as the COVID-19 situation has improved. Here are the facts:

2. As of 2020, the food delivery app industry made $26.5 billion in revenue.

   That’s an increase of 17% from 2019 when revenue was approximately $22 billion. With that in mind, the industry has seen considerable financial growth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.



U.S. Food Delivery App Revenue 2015-2020

Year	Revenue
2020	$26.5 billion
2019	$22 billion
2018	$16.8 billion
2017	$13.7 billion
2016	$10.4 billion
2015	$8.7 billion

3. As of 2021, the U.S. food delivery industry has a market value of $21.2 billion.

   This means despite the re-opening of many restaurants, the food delivery industry continues to grow at a consistent rate. For instance, market value in 2020 was $18.5 billion, meaning that market value for the industry has increased by 13% between 2020-2021.

4. Doordash has the largest share of users, with 58% of market share for online food delivery companies.

   The share of users for other popular food delivery apps is actually rather small in comparison, with Uber Eats having 24% and GrubHub at 15%.



5. Doordash also has the most sales, reaching total revenue of $2.9 billion in 2020.

   For perspective, that’s an increase of 241% from 2021, when Doordash’s revenue was $850 million. Further, Doordash’s revenue is several million dollars higher than the closest competitors, with Uber Eats amassing $2.51 billion and GrubHub $1.31 billion.

6. Online Food Delivery: Consumer Ordering Preferences

   Of course, food delivery apps wouldn’t be growing if not for interested consumers. Overall, what are consumer patterns for food delivery? Here are the insights our research uncovered:

7. 52% of customers still call the restaurant to make a food delivery order.

   With all this talk of food delivery apps, you might think that calling to order is outdated. However, this is far from the truth. It seems half of all food delivery customers still contact restaurants directly instead of using a third-party app.



8. In 2020 alone, there were 111 million food delivery app users.

   While this is a huge number, it’s not as large of an increase as you might think. In fact, food delivery apps have grown consistently over the past five years, rather than having a massive spike between 2019-2020. For example, growth in app users between 2019-2020 was around 15%, while growth in users between 2018-2019 was 11%.

9. 62% of consumers blame both the restaurant and the delivery company when they receive bad service.

   Overall, the highest level of co-blaming comes when the food is the “wrong temperature,” as 72% will blame both the delivery service and restaurant for this issue.

10. With nearly 10 billion visits, Friday is the busiest day for food delivery services.

    Friday is also closely followed by Saturday, which had 9.8 billion visits. All other days are generally in the 8 billion range, with Tuesday being the slowest at 7.9 billion.



11. Online Food Delievery Statistics vs. Dine-In Restaurants

    We’ve compared app orders to call orders, but what about the prevalence of dine-in? After all, it’s easy to see the competitive nature between food delivery and dine-in. Here are the facts:

12. At least 62% of Americans still prefer dine-in to delivery.

    However, the amount of times Americans take part in either service is slightly more even, with 56% saying they dine-in at least once per week and 47% saying they order delivery at the same frequency.

13. Roughly 77% of restaurants offer services through third-party apps.

    And this number is likely to increase, as third-party apps now account for 21–30% of current sales. Whether restaurants like it or not, the pandemic has caused more and more to rely on third-party apps.

14. The average American spends 15% more per year on food delivery than dine-in.

    The average dine-in cost for Americans is roughly $3,000 per year ($57 per week). Meanwhile, the average food delivery cost per week is $3,500 per year ($67 per week). Of course, this isn’t necessarily surprising, given the extra fees that come with third-party delivery services.

15. Food Delivery Statistics by Grocery Delivery

    While food delivery from restaurants is becoming more common, food delivery from grocery stores has also been on the rise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some significant grocery delivery trends, according to our research:

16. From 2019-2020, the grocery delivery industry grew from 3.4% to 10.2% of the total market.

    In financial terms, that means grocery delivery grew from being worth $34.54 billion in 2019 to a staggering $106 billion in 2020. Of course, 10.2% is still a fraction of the overall grocery market, but this number is also expected to double by 2025.

17. Instacart has the most users of any grocery delivery service, totaling 9.6 million as of 2020.

    And this is a massive increase of users since 2019 when there were 5.5 million users. That’s an increase of 43%. Instacart’s revenue has also grown to $1.5 billion.

18. New York, California, and Washington, D.C. combined order food delivery at rates up to 328% higher than average.

    That means that those in cities are far more reliant on food and grocery delivery services than towns or rural areas.

19. Food Delivery Statistics: Trends and Predictions

    While it’s clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for food delivery services, you might be surprised to learn that these services are expected to keep expanding well beyond their 2020 size. Here are some prominent food delivery trends and predictions, according to our research:

20. Spending on third-party food services in the suburbs increased by 10% in 2020.

    This is especially true for the suburbs around major cities, such as New York City or Los Angeles. Research also found that the most common apps used in these areas were Doordash and Grubhub.

21. The food delivery industry is expected to experience a CAGR of 10.5% between 2021 and 2026.

    That’s an estimated increase in worth from $18.5 billion to $33.7 billion. Given that (we hope) COVID-19 won’t be an issue in 2026, this estimate shows that the industry’s growth isn’t directly correlated with the pandemic but simply aided by it.

22. U.S. food delivery revenue grew by 67% between 2015-2020.

    In 2015 the industry’s total revenue amounted to $8.7 billion, while that number was up to $26.5 billion in 2020. Interestingly, the industry’s growth has been consistent year to year, rather than just spiking in 2020.

23. As of September 2021, the year-over-year growth of the U.S. food delivery market reached 17%.

    And this number is even more dramatic globally, with year-over-year growth reaching 27%. No doubt, the pandemic has been a huge catalyst for demand in the industry.

Food Delivery Statistics FAQ

1. What percentage of people order food online?

   At least 80% of Americans have ordered food online. However, the food delivery industry still makes up only 10.2% of the total market.

   For instance, the amount of times Americans take part in either dine-in or delivery is fairly even, with 56% saying they dine-in at least once per week and 47% saying they order delivery at the same frequency.

2. What is the most popular food ordered for delivery?

   The most popular food ordered for delivery depends largely on the app it was ordered from. Here are the top foods from Doordash and Uber Eats:

   • Doordash: Chicken fingers, French fries, fried chicken sandwich, Mac and Cheese, Chips, Apple pie, Chicken quesadillas, Iced coffee, and California roll

   • Uber Eats: French fries, Pad Thai, Garlic naan, Soda, Miso soup, California roll, Chicken tikka masala, Edamame, Mozzarella sticks, and Spicy tuna roll

   If you haven’t noticed, Asian American foods dominate the delivery scene here in the U.S. For example, Tawainese food has seen an 807% increase in orders from Doordash.

3. Is the food delivery market growing?

   Yes, the food delivery market is growing. Online food ordering has grown 300% faster than dine-in since 2014 and now accounts for roughly 40% of the total restaurant sales. Plus, the industry has grown at a consistent 10-15% per year rate even before the pandemic.

   The pandemic has only sped up the industry’s growth, with it now having a predicted CAGR of 10.5% between 2021-2026.

4. How much has the pandemic increased food delivery?

   The pandemic has increased growth in the food industry mainly through the expansion of third-party apps. Apps like Doordash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub have seen a 41% increase in users since the start of the pandemic.

   That number is even higher in major cities like New York City, California, and Washington, D.C., where food delivery rates are 328% higher than the national average.

5. What percentage of food is delivered?

   Between 8-9% of food is delivered in the U.S. While the proportion of food service sales owed to online ordering rose due to the pandemic, experts are predicting just a modest 0.9% gain to the percentage of food delivered in America from 2019-2022.

   Note that this accounts for food sales specifically, not the total amount of food.

6. Who uses food delivery services the most?

   People between the ages of 18 to 29 use food delivery services the most. Up to 2/3 of young people use these apps at least once a year, compared to about 50% of people between the ages of 30 and 44.

   That may not be a health choice so much as a comfort with the technology and food ordering preferences.

7. Is food delivery profitable?

   No, food delivery is not profitable. You may be surprised to learn that while big name companies like Door Dash and Uber Eats pull in billions of dollars in revenue, they ultimately spend more money than they make.

   Still, these companies hope that as logistical improvements are made, operating costs lowered, and demand increased, they will eventually be able to turn a profit.

Conclusion

The U.S. food delivery industry has seen consistent growth for nearly a decade, with the pandemic only heightening that growth.

For instance, online food ordering has grown 300% faster than dine-in since 2014 and now accounts for roughly 40% of restaurant sales. Additionally, grocery delivery grew from 3.4% to 10.2% of the total market between 2019 and 2020.

Overall, the food delivery industry is expected to have a healthy CAGR of 10.5% between 2021-2026, meaning that even if the pandemic is no longer an issue in years to come, the industry will still be growing.

Sources:

1. BusinessofApps. “Food Delivery App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2021).” Accessed on November 8th, 2021.

2. EMR. “United States Online Food Delivery Market Outlook.” Accessed on November 8th, 2021.

3. Mashable. “Survey reveals who’s winning the delivery app wars: DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub.” Accessed on November 8th, 2021.

4. BusinessofApps. “DoorDash Revenue and Usage Statistics (2021).” Accessed on November 8th, 2021.

5. RestaurantDive. “Study: 62% of diners blame both restaurants and delivery companies for bad service.” Accessed on November 8th, 2021.

6. MARS Food Services. “Catering to Consumer Behavior Throughout the Week.” Accessed on November 8th, 2021.

7. RestaurantDive. “62% of Americans prefer dine-in to takeout, delivery.” Accessed on November 8th, 2021.

8. QSR. “Restaurants and Third-Party Delivery Companies Come to Terms.” Accessed on November 8th, 2021.

9. Money Under 30. “The True Cost Of Eating Out (And How To Save).” Accessed on November 8th, 2021.

10. Supermarket News. “Online grocery to more than double market share by 2025.” Accessed on November 8th, 2021.

11. BusinessofApps. “Instacart Revenue and Usage Statistics (2021).” Accessed on November 8th, 2021.

12. Earnest. “How Much Do People Spend in Each Sector of the Food Economy?” Accessed on November 8th, 2021.

13. Fox Business. “Coronavirus boosts food delivery sales in suburbs.” Accessed on November 9th, 2021.

14. Bloomberg Second Measure. “Which company is winning the restaurant food delivery war?” Accessed on November 9th, 2021.

15. Bloomberg Second Measure. “Market share of online food delivery companies in the United States as of March 2021, by company” Accessed on February 2, 2022.

Author

Jack Flynn

Jack Flynn is a writer for Zippia. In his professional career he’s written over 100 research papers, articles and blog posts. Some of his most popular published works include his writing about economic terms and research into job classifications. Jack received his BS from Hampshire College.