Which Food Allergies Are Most Prevalent?

More than 100 million people in the United States have some form of allergy, ranging from seasonal hay fever to eczema or food sensitivities. For some individuals, exposure to an allergen (commonly foods, insects or medicines) can trigger anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction. Anaphylaxis can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure and airway constriction.

Cases of anaphylaxis are on the rise in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, driven largely by medication- and food-related reactions, according to one review of hospital admissions data. The reaction typically starts within seconds or minutes of exposure and requires an immediate injection of adrenaline, followed by emergency care. Allergies can develop at any age, even later in life, and are acquired through exposure to allergens.

The prevalence and types of allergies vary around the world. According to a Statista Consumer Insights survey, self-reported food allergies differ widely across four countries: the United States, Mexico, China and the United Kingdom. In China, seafood and fish were the most frequently reported allergies, at close to one in ten. In contrast, milk and nut allergies were the most common in the United States and the United Kingdom. While milk and then shellfish were the most widespread in Mexico. Across both China and the UK, 75 percent of respondents reported no food allergies, compared with 72 percent in Mexico and 69 percent in the U.S.

In terms of some of the trends observed in other surveyed countries, India’s most widespread self-reported allergies were seafood/fish, shellfish, eggs and milk, while in Brazil, eggs, fruits, milk and nuts came first and in Germany the top four were milk, nuts, fruits and soy.

It’s important to note that this survey data is based on self-reporting, with sample sizes ranging from 1,200 to 6,400 respondents aged 18-64 years old per country. While useful for broad comparisons, these figures are not clinical diagnoses and should be interpreted accordingly.