Who’s eating what? The demographic divide behind Britain’s favourite cuisines

YouGov Profiles reveals that Chinese, Indian and Italian are three of the most popular overseas-based cuisines to consume at restaurants in Britain. The Chinese cuisine leads the lot, with nearly half of Brits having consumed it at a restaurant (either dine-in, delivery or takeaway) at least once over the past three months (45%). Indian (39%) and Italian (37%) follow.

How often do diners eat Chinese, Indian and Italian cuisines?

Among those who said they eat Chinese at least once in the last three months, 16% had it in the past week, 40% in the past month, and 44% in the past 2–3 months. Indian and Italian cuisines show similar patterns, with Indian slightly edging out Chinese in weekly consumption at 19%, while Italian remains consistently close across all timeframes.

A younger base for Italian food fans

Looking at the makeup of each cuisine's consumers reveals some key differences. Italian cuisine has a noticeably younger audience — 18–34-year-olds make up a larger share of its eaters (21% male, 21% female) than they do for Chinese (14% male, 16% female) or Indian cuisine (17% male, 15% female).

In contrast, older adults (55+) are more prevalent among Chinese and Indian cuisine eaters. For example, women aged 55+ represent 16% of the Chinese-eating group, compared to just 14% of the Italian one. The same holds for men 55+, who account for 17% of Indian and 15% of Chinese eaters, but just 11% of Italian.

Indian cuisine skews slightly more affluent

Income data further differentiates the eater profiles. Middle-income Britons make up the largest share across all three, but they are especially dominant among Chinese cuisine consumers — 37% of Chinese eaters fall into this group, slightly higher than the 36% seen among Indian and Italian cuisine consumers. Indian cuisine has a slightly more affluent base, with 26% of its consumers coming from higher-income households, compared to 24% for Italian and 23% for Chinese. Meanwhile, lower-income individuals account for a larger share of Chinese cuisine eaters (20%) than of Indian (17%) or Italian (16%).

Different cuisines, different dining priorities

Restaurant-goers’ priorities also vary subtly depending on the cuisine. Value for money is the top consideration across the board but is particularly important to Chinese cuisine eaters (56%).

They are also more likely than Indian or Italian cuisine consumers to be swayed by deals or offers (38%). Indian cuisine eaters show the highest emphasis on healthy menu options (20%) and freshness of ingredients (22%). Meanwhile, Italian cuisine consumers are slightly more likely to consider kid-friendly menus (11%) and ethical considerations like sustainably sourced products (11%).

Drinking habits

Differences also emerge in drinking habits, which could help restaurants that serve various cuisines decide on their alcohol menus. Indian and Italian cuisine consumers are slightly more likely to be regular patrons of pubs and bars, with 40% and 39% respectively saying they go out at least once a month. Among Chinese cuisine eaters, that figure stands slightly lower at 36%. Those who never drink out make up a slightly larger share of Chinese eaters (18%) than of Indian or Italian cuisine fans (both 16%).

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