Changing Tastes or Preferences

From 1980 to 2021, the per-person consumption of chicken by Americans rose from 47 pounds per year to 97

pounds per year, and consumption of beef fell from 76 pounds per year to 59 pounds per year, according to the

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Changes like these are largely due to movements in taste, which

change the quantity of a good demanded at every price: that is, they shift the demand curve for that good,
rightward for chicken and leftward for beef.

Changes in the Composition of the Population

The proportion of elderly citizens in the United States population is rising. It rose from 9.8% in 1970 to 12.6%

in 2000, and will be a projected (by the U.S. Census Bureau) 20% of the population by 2030. A society with

relatively more children, like the United States in the 1960s, will have greater demand for goods and services

like tricycles and day care facilities. A society with relatively more elderly persons, as the United States is
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