Study: 45% Of Aussie Ys Now Using Food Delivery Services, With Uber Eats The Clear Number One

New research from Roy Morgan shows over 7 million Australians aged 14-plus (33.4 per cent now use a meal delivery services in an average three months, up from 3.6 million (16.9 per cent) in early 2020. Uber Eats is again the clear market leader used by 3.5 million Australians, up from 2.3 million in early 2020.

The use of meal delivery services such as Uber Eats, Menulog, DoorDash, HelloFresh and Deliveroo grew rapidly over the last two years of extended lockdowns around much of the country – and especially in the two largest States of New South Wales and Victoria.

A look at the different generations shows Millennials (born 1976-1990) and now aged from 31-46 years old, are the most likely to use a meal delivery service. Now 45.8 per cent of Millennials use a meal delivery service in an average three months, more than doubling their usage since early 2020 (up 24 percentage points).

Just behind in second place is the youngest Generation Z (born 1991-2008) with 43 per cent (up 17 per cent points from early 2020) now using meal delivery services in an average three months.

Nearly a third of people in Generation X, 29.6 per cent, now use meal delivery services, more than doubling from 14.4 per cent of this generation in early 2020. The use of meal delivery services drops off sharply in the older generations aged over 60. Under one-in-six Baby Boomers (15.9 per cent, up 8.5 per cent points from early 2020) and only 12.3 per cent% (up 7.4 percentage points) of Pre-Boomers used one of the services.

Australians who used meal delivery services by Generation – 2020 vs. 2021 vs. 2022

City dwellers far more likely to use meal delivery services than people living in the country

Nearly two-fifths of people living in the Capital Cities (38.3 per cent) use meal delivery services, up from 21.1 per cent in early 2020 – an increase of 17.2 percentage points since the pandemic began. In contrast under a quarter of people living in Country Areas (24.1 per cent) now use meal delivery services, however this figure has more than doubled, up by 15.1 percentage points since early 2020.

Looking at the States shows the two which suffered the longest lockdowns during the pandemic have the highest use of meal delivery service led by NSW (36.6 per cent) just ahead of Victoria (35.5 per cent). Usage of meal delivery services is highest in Australia’s largest cities of Sydney (41.9 per cent) and Melbourne (40.2 per cent).

The usage of meal delivery services has increased across all States but is below a third of people in South Australia (32 per cent), Western Australia (31.1 per cent) and Queensland (28.8 per cent). Under a fifth of people in Tasmania (18.7 per cent) use meal delivery services in an average three months.

Uber Eats remains the market leader and is now used by nearly one-in-six Australians (16.5 per cent) and this rises to around a quarter of Millennials (23.6 per cnet) and people in Generation Z (25.8 per cent). There has been strong growth in the use of other meal delivery services such as Menulog, DoorDash, HelloFresh and Deliveroo which have all seen significant increases in usage of their services during the last two years.

Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says the last two years have seen a swift rise in the number of people using meal delivery service apps such as Uber Eats, Menulog, DoorDash or Deliveroo as extensive pandemic lockdowns forced people to find new ways to order food and meals.

Levine commented: “Roy Morgan has been closely monitoring the usage of apps over the last decade as smartphones became almost ubiquitous across Australia. Over the last two years some of the biggest growth has been for meal delivery service apps as lockdowns enforced to prevent the spread of COVID-19 forced millions of Australians to spend extended periods of time at home.

“Now over 7 million Australians (33.4 per cent) use meal delivery service apps in an average three months – almost double the rate in the first quarter of 2020 (16.9 per cent – 3.6 million). The growth has been across all demographics over the last two years and there are still slightly more women (3.6 million) using meal delivery service apps than men (3.5 million).

“Unsurprisingly it is the younger generations who are the keenest adopters of the new technology with 45.8 per cent of Millennials and 43 per cent of Generation Z now using meal delivery service apps – up significantly from pre-pandemic. These two generations account for almost 5 million users of meal delivery service apps – just under 70 per cent of the current market.

“Although the growth has been quickest among younger generations people of all ages are increasingly turning to the convenience of using meal delivery service apps. Now nearly a third of Generation X 29.6 per cent (up 15.2 per cent points in two years), almost one-in-six Baby Boomers 15.9 per cent (up 8.5 percentage points) and 12.3 per cent (up 7.3 per cent points) of Pre-Boomers use meal delivery service apps.

“Although the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic now appears over and lockdowns are (hopefully) a thing of the past, we have had several waves of the Omicron variant this year with the fourth wave peaking only recently in late July.

“The convenience of using meal delivery service apps, that many have used for the first time over the last two years, and the greater than ever risk of catching COVID-19 now, more than ever before, mean the popularity of meal delivery service apps is set to endure beyond the unique conditions of the pandemic.”