Contents
- Time spent preparing food statistics: U.S. daily averages
- Time spent preparing food statistics by sex and participation
- Time spent preparing food statistics by age
- time spent preparing food: Food preparation time statistics by household type
- time spent preparing food: Food preparation time statistics by education
- time spent preparing food: Preparing food time trends in historical ATUS periods
- Sources
Time spent preparing food statistics: U.S. daily averages
In 2025, people in the U.S. civilian population age 15 and over spent an average of 0.71 hours per day on the combined primary activity of food preparation and cleanup. That is the population-wide daily average: it includes both people who did and did not report the activity on a given day. The measure combines preparation and cleanup, so it should not be read as time spent cooking alone. Source: BLS, 2025 ATUS Table 1
The same table reports that 65.2% of people age 15 and over engaged in food preparation and cleanup on an average day. Among those who engaged, the average was 1.09 hours per day. These are two different measures: 0.71 hours describes the civilian population overall, while 1.09 hours describes participants. The participant figure is not an additional amount to add to the population average. Source: BLS, 2025 ATUS Table 1
| 2025 measure | U.S. civilian population age 15+ |
|---|---|
| Average time per day, including the full population | 0.71 hours |
| Engaged on an average day | 65.2% |
| Average time per day among participants | 1.09 hours |
Source: BLS, 2025 ATUS Table 1
The activity definition matters when comparing these numbers with other food-time estimates. BLS reports food preparation and cleanup as a combined primary activity. The historical USDA report figures discussed below cover food preparation, including drink preparation, and do not use the same combined label. The populations, periods, and definitions therefore need to stay attached to their figures. Sources: BLS, 2025 ATUS Table 1; USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use: Changes and Demographic Differences
Time spent preparing food statistics by sex and participation
The 2025 BLS averages show different amounts of time for men and women age 15 and over in the combined food preparation and cleanup activity. Men averaged 0.51 hours per day across the civilian male population; women averaged 0.91 hours. These figures are population averages, not time conditional on participating. Source: BLS, 2025 ATUS Table 1
Participation also differed: 57.9% of men and 72.2% of women engaged in the activity on an average day. Looking only at those who participated, men averaged 0.88 hours per day and women averaged 1.26 hours. Together, the population and participant measures show both how common the activity was on an average day and the reported time among those who did it. Source: BLS, 2025 ATUS Table 1
| 2025 sex-specific measure | Men age 15+ | Women age 15+ |
|---|---|---|
| Population average per day | 0.51 hours | 0.91 hours |
| Engaged on an average day | 57.9% | 72.2% |
| Participant average per day | 0.88 hours | 1.26 hours |
Source: BLS, 2025 ATUS Table 1
The population averages reflect both participation and time among participants; they should not be confused with the participant averages. The table reports descriptive differences by sex, but these values alone do not establish why the averages differ. The figures cover the U.S. civilian population age 15 and over and the 2025 annual average. Source: BLS, 2025 ATUS Table 1
Time spent preparing food statistics by age
Historical USDA estimates in Table 9 describe average daily minutes spent in food and drink preparation across age groups. For Americans age 15–17, the average was 5.1 minutes per day in 2004–07 and 6.6 minutes in 2014–17. For ages 18–24, the corresponding averages were 16.8 and 12.5 minutes. These are pooled period estimates, not observations for a single year. Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9
For ages 25–64, food and drink preparation averaged 25.4 minutes per day in 2004–07 and 29.9 minutes in 2014–17. For people age 65 and older, it averaged 30.1 minutes and 31.7 minutes in those periods, respectively. Each row refers to the specified age group and the report’s average-day measure. Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9
| Age group | 2004–07 average minutes per day | 2014–17 average minutes per day |
|---|---|---|
| 15–17 | 5.1 | 6.6 |
| 18–24 | 16.8 | 12.5 |
| 25–64 | 25.4 | 29.9 |
| 65 and older | 30.1 | 31.7 |
Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9
These rows show that the historical averages varied by age group, and that the direction across the two pooled periods was not uniform: the reported average for ages 18–24 was lower in 2014–17, while the other listed groups had higher averages. The figures do not explain the reasons for those differences. USDA’s measure includes drink preparation, whereas the 2025 BLS measure combines food preparation and cleanup, so they are not directly interchangeable. Sources: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9; BLS, 2025 ATUS Table 1
time spent preparing food: Food preparation time statistics by household type
USDA Table 9 provides historical average-day estimates for four household types. People in single-adult households without children averaged 20.2 minutes per day in food and drink preparation in 2004–07 and 23.5 minutes in 2014–17. For people in couples without children, the averages were 25.1 and 28.5 minutes, respectively. Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9
The table reports 31.8 minutes per day in 2004–07 and 37.9 minutes in 2014–17 for single adults with children. For couples with children, the respective estimates were 30.2 and 36.5 minutes. Each figure is an average across the people in the household category, not an estimate of the total time contributed by everyone in that household. Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9
| Household type | 2004–07 average minutes per day | 2014–17 average minutes per day |
|---|---|---|
| Single, no children | 20.2 | 23.5 |
| Couple, no children | 25.1 | 28.5 |
| Single with children | 31.8 | 37.9 |
| Couple with children | 30.2 | 36.5 |
Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9
For all four listed household categories, the 2014–17 estimate is higher than its 2004–07 counterpart. The table supports that comparison of reported averages; it does not identify household composition as a cause of time use or show how the work was divided among household members. The measure covers food preparation, including drinks, over pooled periods. Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9
time spent preparing food: Food preparation time statistics by education
The education rows in USDA Table 9 also report average minutes per day for food and drink preparation. People with education below high school averaged 33.6 minutes per day in 2004–07 and 37.0 minutes in 2014–17. For people with a high school degree or GED, the estimates were 26.8 and 30.2 minutes. Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9 continuation
For Americans with a bachelor’s degree, the average was 23.3 minutes per day in 2004–07 and 28.1 minutes in 2014–17. These are group averages for the pooled periods named in the table. They describe time in the specified activity, including drink preparation; they do not measure total time spent on all food-related work. Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9 continuation
| Education group | 2004–07 average minutes per day | 2014–17 average minutes per day |
|---|---|---|
| Below high school | 33.6 | 37.0 |
| High school degree or GED | 26.8 | 30.2 |
| Bachelor’s degree | 23.3 | 28.1 |
Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9 continuation
All three listed education groups have a higher reported average in 2014–17 than in 2004–07. The set of values supports comparison across these named groups and periods; it does not establish that education itself explains differences in preparation time. The estimates are historical and should not be presented as current measurements. Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9 continuation
time spent preparing food: Preparing food time trends in historical ATUS periods
For Americans age 15 and over, USDA Table 9 reports an average of 23.4 minutes per day in food and drink preparation in 2004–07 and 27.5 minutes in 2014–17. The share who engaged in preparing food on an average day was 47.3% in the earlier period and 53.5% in the later one. These period averages distinguish time across the full population from the proportion who participated. Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9
Among people age 15 and over who prepared food, mean daily time was 49.5 minutes in 2004–07 and 51.4 minutes in 2014–17. This participant measure differs from the population-wide averages of 23.4 and 27.5 minutes. Read together, the three indicators show the average time across the full population, the share reporting the activity, and the mean time among those engaged. Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9
| Historical measure, Americans age 15+ | 2004–07 | 2014–17 |
|---|---|---|
| Average minutes per day, all people | 23.4 | 27.5 |
| Engaged in food preparation on an average day | 47.3% | 53.5% |
| Average minutes per day among participants | 49.5 | 51.4 |
Source: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9
The historical comparison is limited to the two pooled ATUS periods reported by USDA, 2004–07 and 2014–17. It is not a year-by-year trend and does not describe the present-day average. The USDA category includes drink preparation; BLS’s 2025 figures cover the combined primary activity of food preparation and cleanup. Keeping those definitions and dates visible is essential when using time spent preparing food statistics across sources. Sources: USDA ERS, Food-Related Time Use, Table 9; BLS, 2025 ATUS Table 1
Sources
- Table 1. Time spent in primary activities and percent of the civilian population engaging in each activity, averages per day by sex, 2025 annual averages
- Table 2. Time spent in primary activities and percent of the civilian population engaging in each activity, averages per day on weekdays and weekends, 2025 annual averages
- Table 8A. Time spent in primary activities for the civilian population 18 years and over by presence and age of youngest household child and sex, 2025 annual averages, total
- Table 8B. Time spent in primary activities for the civilian population 18 years and over by presence and age of youngest household child and sex, 2025 annual averages, employed
- Food-Related Time Use: Changes and Demographic Differences