Heterogeneous Preferences in Household Food Consumption in Italy

Changes in the socio-demographic structure of population are considered a determinant of trends in consumption. We estimated a complete demand system for Italy, with emphasis on food demand, using a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) with demographic effects. Our results allow comparison of expenditure elasticities and shares across households, thereby providing insights into the structure of food demand in Italy and confirming that demographic characteristics play a significant role. The QUAIDS specification is superior to the Almost Ideal Demand System specification: this is important, especially if the model is used for simulation and/or forecasting