According to data from the Food Consumption Panel of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, processed by FEPEX, total household spending remained virtually stable, declining by just 0.4% to €7.662 billion.
The figures put household consumption back into negative territory following the slight recovery recorded in 2025.
Fresh fruit consumption falls by 3.3%
Fresh fruit accounted for the largest share of consumption, at 1.741 billion kilos, 3.3% less than in the first half of 2025.
Household spending on fruit also declined, although to a lesser extent, falling by 1.8% to €4.246 billion, while the average price increased by 1.6% to €2.44 per kilo.
Among the products with the greatest weight in household shopping baskets, several significant declines were recorded. Orange consumption fell by 8.6% to 315 million kilos, apples by 8.9% to 186 million kilos, and strawberries by 9.1% to 97 million kilos.
Consumption of mandarins also decreased by 7.4%, lemons by 6.8%, pears by 4.2% and bananas by 4%.
Apricots, cherries and grapes post strong growth
In contrast, several fruit categories recorded notable increases during the first half of the year.
Apricot consumption rose by 23.3%, exceeding 20 million kilos, while cherries increased by 18.8% to 36.5 million kilos.
Grapes advanced by 14.1% to 37.6 million kilos, while plums increased by 10.3%.
Watermelon consumption also grew by 9.7% to 136 million kilos, while peaches recorded a 9.6% increase.
Lower vegetable consumption, but higher spending
Household consumption of fresh vegetables stood at 1.110 billion kilos, 2.6% lower than in the same period a year earlier.
Despite the decline in volume, household expenditure increased by 2.9% to €2.946 billion, while the average price of vegetables rose by 5.7% to €2.65 per kilo.
By product, tomatoes, the most widely consumed fresh vegetable in Spanish households, saw demand fall by 1.7% to 247 million kilos.
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Onion consumption fell by 2.3%, lettuce, escarole and endive by 3.7%, and green beans by 5%. The sharpest decline was recorded by cabbages, down 8.9%.
Peppers were the only one of these products to remain practically stable, with a slight increase of 0.6%.
Fresh potato consumption also declines
Demand for fresh potatoes reached 403 million kilos during the first half of the year, 1% lower than a year earlier.
In this case, spending fell more sharply, dropping by 7.2% to €470 million.
FEPEX calls for stronger consumption promotion
The first-half figures mark a return to a downward trend after 2025 closed with a slight 1% increase in fruit and vegetable consumption compared with 2024, reaching 6.952 billion kilos.
According to FEPEX, the recovery recorded in 2025 was an exception within a longer-term trend of declining household consumption.
The organisation considers it increasingly necessary to strengthen promotional campaigns and food education initiatives to encourage a greater presence of fruit and vegetables in people’s diets and highlight their essential role in a balanced diet.
