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This study empirically estimates the food demand system of Chinese consumers using the data from the annual survey conducted by China’s National Statistical Bureau. The 31 provinces are classed into 11 clusters based on a cluster analysis, and the demand system of each cluster is estimated with the pooled data of the 31 provinces. The empirical results obtained from the estimated translog demand system show that there is a significant regional difference in food consumption behavior due to the differences in income level, access to seafood, industry structure, and demographic characteristics. We provide region-specific elasticity estimates of the demand system. It is found that the income elasticities of FAH, meats, and aquatic products are much larger than those of other agro-food products, suggesting a further increase in the consumption of those products in the future. |
