Two-year growth of fast food New Zealand 2016, by type
Fast food industry
The total sales of takeaway food in New Zealand has continued to increase over the past five years. Employment in this industry has also seen an increase, with the services industry dominating the workforce across the entire country.
In 2018, McDonald’s restaurants were the most frequented by fast food consumers in New Zealand, with the fast food chain leading all other quick service restaurants operating in the country. In 2017, there were 27,000 people per each McDonald’s restaurant in New Zealand.
The obesity epidemic
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of obesity among developed countries across the world. Obesity among Kiwi kids has become more prevalent in recent years. Many experts have linked this to diets dominated by fast food. Almost 80 percent of children aged 10 to 14 years stated that they ate fast food or takeaway food at least once per week in the country. Going further, Pasifika and Māori children were more likely to eat at fast food restaurants, exacerbating the obesity problem among minority groups in the country even further.
While some fast food chains have taken steps to offer healthy alternatives at their restaurants, many argue that more needs to be done to tackle the obesity problem in the country.