During the Covid-19 pandemic, we all found ourselves confined at home. As most stores and all restaurants were closed, many succumbed to the temptation of a delivered meal. This was reflected on Google. Keywords related to food delivery increased by 300% during this period. But in practice, what did we order? And what about our neighbors?
The Most Searched Dishes
Pizza takes the top spot in this ranking, far ahead of the next two dishes. According to available data from Betway Online Casino, it ranks first in searches from 55 out of 81 countries (those with available data). This globally known and recognized dish, which was recently added to the UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, is particularly sought after in Europe and Eastern Europe, with Belarus being the country with the most searches per capita for this food. Chinese food takes the second place, leading the searches in 11 countries. Finally, Japanese food comes in third.
Surprisingly, Russia stood out with its majority search for vegan dishes by its inhabitants. This can likely be explained by the fact that a significant portion of the population is practicing Orthodox, and it was the Lent period, which prohibits rich foods and meat.
Which Countries Ordered the Most?
Unsurprisingly, if we consider the total number of searches, it’s the United States with 10.5 million, representing 39% of global searches for these famous keywords (“delivery” “food delivery” “takeout”). But if we relate the number of searches to the number of inhabitants, to get an idea of the country-level ratio, the ranking is surprising. Thus, Belgium takes the first place, with a ratio of one order per 10 inhabitants. The United States comes second, with one order for 31 inhabitants, followed by Australia, with one for 40. The country with the inverse record is India, with a ratio of one for 1457 people. Now, it’s interesting to compare with ordering habits.
What Difference Compared to Pre-Pandemic Habits?
Although its restaurants were only closed at the end of March, Mexico leads this ranking, far ahead of other countries, as it experienced an increase of more than 1223% during the lockdown, leaving Indonesia and its +300% far behind. Finally, Canada takes the third spot, not far behind with an increase of 286%. We then find the United States, Argentina, and Australia, also with three-figure increases. Surprisingly, although the United Kingdom recorded the third-largest volume of searches, the country registered a 20% decrease in the number of orders (compared to normal times), which is quite contrary to the general trend.
