The line graph compares annual sales of fast food and fresh healthy food in one country between 1995 and 2020, in billions of dollars.
Overall, fresh food sales grew strongly throughout the period, whereas fast food sales rose and then declined slightly. By 2020 the two categories were almost level, although fast food had been far ahead in 1995.
In 1995 fast food sales stood at $40 billion, nearly twice the $22 billion spent on fresh food. Fast food then grew steadily to $55 billion in 2000, $70 billion in 2005 and a peak of $78 billion in 2010. After this high point it began to fall, to $76 billion in 2015 and $72 billion in 2020.
Fresh food sales showed a different trend. They increased very slowly at first, from $22 billion to $24 billion in 2000 and $28 billion in 2005. The market then accelerated, with figures of $38 billion in 2010, $52 billion in 2015 and $70 billion in 2020. This represented more than a threefold increase over the whole period, and it left the fresh food market only $2 billion behind fast food.