IRELAND FORKED out a whopping €264 per person on takeaways last year, despite the country's rising obesity crisis.
There has also been a 20 per cent rise in the amount being spent on takeaways in the last five years, according to the Euromonitor International 2018 report on the fast-food industry.
According to the report, Ireland is now 11th in the world for spending on junk food, with the UK eighth in the latest ranking.
They still have some way to go to catch up on top-placed America though, where almost three times as much is spent on fast food compared with Ireland.
"Fast food, overall, continued to see healthy growth rates in 2017, in spite of pressure caused by health concerns," the Euromonitor report says.
The report revealed chicken is an increasingly popular fast food choice among Irish eaters.
"Chicken fast food is increasingly perceived as a healthier alternative to burger fast food," the report says.
"Irish consumers are participating in sports more often and increased education around the relative health properties of chicken helped to increase its popularity."
This increase is seen as a positive step because of the fact most chicken can be locally sourced, reducing the amount of food miles generated in food production.
Obesity remains a serious concern in Ireland.
Data published in October 2017, revealed that almost a third of Irish children are classed as overweight.
According to the findings, Irish boys rank 98th out of 200 countries in the world for childhood obesity levels while girls rank 78th.
