The food delivery sector has witnessed unprecedented growth in the last decade and has grown to become a mass-market business that forms part of our day-to-day lives. To look ahead to 2025, it is important to know about what is happening in the industry today. This article takes you through the most relevant food delivery statistics that define today’s online food delivery space.
14 Top Food Delivery Statistics in 2025
1. Global market overview
The global online food ordering market continues to grow and is estimated to reach$1.41 trillion before the end of 2025.
This growth is estimated to maintain a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.88% between 2025 and 2029 to reach a market size of around $1.91 trillion by 2029.
User penetration in the food ordering segment is anticipated to stayaround 30.6% in 2025 and reflects increasing reliance on the services.
Interestingly, the country that will likely generate the highest revenue is China, with anticipated revenue of $498.80 billion in 2025. These statistics reflect that it is a leader in the international market.
2. Consumer behavior and preferences
Convenience ordering has been a large part of dining culture. Now that almost 40% of adults buy restaurant takeout or delivery 3 to 5 times per month, a trend that spotlights off-premise dining.
The trend is on the rise for grocery delivery online and is projected to grow to a staggering revenue of $945 billion by this time next year.
Meal kit delivery is also on the rise, with global revenue for this sector to increase by $4.9 billion (a compound annual growth rate of 33.58%) between 2024 and 2028.
They are purchasing prepared food from someone else to save time and avoid the trouble of doing it themselves.
3. Technological advancements and delivery efficiency
Technology has made food delivery much more efficient. Theaverage delivery time is about 35 minutes, but 27% of consumers would be willing to pay extra for quicker delivery times.
Restaurants and food delivery platforms are using technology to maximize operations to serve this demand.
The owner of a celebrity restaurant says that 95% of restaurant owners say that technology has made it more efficient overall as a restaurant.
4. Market share and leading platforms
DoorDash is now the leading food delivery company in the United States. DoorDash platforms, including the Wolt marketplace, sat with around 37 million monthly active users by December 31, 2023.
The market share of this company has been steadily rising, with a July 2018 standing of 18% to a dominating position of 67% in March 2024.
DoorDash revenue is indicative of its increasing user base.It made revenue worth $8.64 billion in 2023, which is a rise of 31.3% compared to the year before.
DoorDash has fulfilled $66.77 billion worth of orders in just three quarters of 2024 and is a food ordering market leader.
5. Emerging trends: Ghost kitchens and subscription models
The pandemic has sped up the evolution of the dining restaurant sector and has spawned ghost kitchens and a culture of eating on the go.
Ghost restaurants that operate with no traditional dine-in space have become prevalent as a means for restaurateurs to offer greater demand for delivery in a profitable manner.
Subscription services continue to gain traction with consumers who are value- and convenience-oriented.
DoorDash's subscription offering additional DashPass and Wolt+'s subscriptions grew by 22 million consumers in 2024, reflecting a growing trend for membership-based food delivery.
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6. Challenges and opportunities
The food delivery sector is still saddled with food costs and manpower shortages. Restaurants are experiencing higher costs of doing business and are seeking to cushion this by innovating and adapting.
Restaurants closed and transitioned to takeout-only operations or made deals with delivery firms in a bid to keep businesses running.
In spite of all these setbacks, the sector has been said to be resilient.
For instance, restaurant ordering platforms in Australia have been a lifeline for restaurant owners who are barely holding on, with 25% of owners attributing these platforms to remaining in business even with times getting tough.
7. Rise of two-wheeled deliveries
In urban areas, delivery is going toward more sustainable and efficient modes.
In Philadelphia, for instance, there are presently 35% of DoorDash deliveries by electric bikes and scooters and other two-wheeled vehicles. The figure reflects how bike-friendly the city is and a trend overall for eco-friendly delivery.
San Francisco leads for cities with a strong 76% of deliveries by bike, and others, including Houston (4%), Atlanta (8%), and Dallas (9.5%), are behind.
Many of these riders are using models specifically designed for delivery riders, such as Whizz’s Storm-2.
8. International expansion of delivery platforms
Large food-delivery platforms are expanding to overseas markets. DoorDash has seen foreign markets contribute to 10% of total orders, with a compound annual rate of gross-order value projected to be 35% per annum.
International expansion is crucial because it can reverse potential lethargy in U.S. consumers.
9. Growth in meal kit deliveries
We’ve touched on meal kit deliveries, but let’s go deeper.
The meal kit industry is growing at a rapid rate. Revenues are to reach more than $20 billion by 2025 and almost $25 billion in 2027.
This is a compound annual growth rate of just above 19% since 2020 and is indicated by a consistent rise in consumers' appetite for meal kits.
10. Impact of the pandemic on dining preferences
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people consume food, and consumers are shifting to takeout and delivery from traditional eating habits.
It has forced restaurants to adjust service, provide increased off-premises eating, and invest in delivery operations to keep pace with evolving consumer behavior.
11. Projected growth in grocery delivery
The online grocery delivery market is witnessing high intensification with revenue growth by 20.3% globally by 2025.
This can affect traditional grocery stores and other food stores in groceries because customers might be shopping online.
12. Surge in food delivery app downloads
Food delivery apps have become a routine part of people's lives around the world now.
More than 55 million individuals used the app of Zomato, nearly 47 million used Uber Eats, and nearly 35 million used Swiggy in 2022.
One company is taking over America, and with 42 million DoorDash active users, the app is in fourth place worldwide with 27 million downloads.
The global drone delivery market is expanding quickly, with enormous development projected between 2022 and 2027. The market’s estimated CAGR is 42.6% from 2023 to 2030.
Drone deliveries hit a million in 2024 with benefits like speed and reduced emissions and increased contactless delivery for food service and for e-commerce.
There are still limitations to this, though, like that several delivery drones can only transport 5 to 25 pounds with this supporting larger orders of food.
14. Future outlook
The online food delivery market has space to keep expanding and evolving, and the trend is about to continue.
With demand set to reach a volume of $1.91 trillion by 2029, there is plenty of scope for businesses to get creative and keep pace with changes in customer demand.
Keeping pace with technological advancements, streamlining delivery operations, analyzing online food delivery statistics, and complying with upcoming trends such as ghost kitchens and subscription services will be key to long-term survival in a crowded market.
Either way, it seems the online food delivery market share is yet to reach its full potential.
These food delivery statistics reveal the dynamism of food delivery in 2025.
From increasing eco-friendly delivery practices to advancements in drone deliveries, all is evolving in this sector to keep consumers interested and up to a challenge.
Staying ahead of these developments is crucial for firms seeking to dominate this competitive landscape and avoid delivery problems.
Keep up with the fast-evolving world of food delivery with the latest technology and insights.
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