Restaurant Market Serbia 2026: 30+ Data Points on Market, Delivery & Employment
Market size, online delivery, employment, tourism, inflation, and Michelin selections — aggregated from RZS, PKS, NBS, Wolt, Statista, and the Michelin Guide.
Change history (1)
- — First version — aggregated statistical guide, every figure traceable to Tier 1/2 sources (RZS, Eurostat, PKS, NBS, Wolt, Statista, BrightLocal).
Restaurant Market Serbia Statistics (2026): 30+ Data Points on Market Size, Delivery & Employment
Introduction
Serbia’s food and beverage sector generates €845 million in gross value added annually, accounting for 55.5% of total tourism GVA. Hospitality grew 8.3% in real terms during 2024, faster than overall Serbian GDP growth of 3.9% (RZS, Economic Trends 2024). Online food delivery reached $110.7 million in 2024, and Wolt has crossed 24 million orders since arriving in Serbia in 2019 (Statista Market Forecast; Wolt Newsroom Serbia, 2024). We aggregated data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (RZS), the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, Wolt Newsroom Serbia, the Michelin Guide, and dozens of other sources.
Key findings
- €845 million in gross value added annually, food and beverage, 55.5% of Serbia’s total tourism GVA (PKS, Tourism Association, 2023)
- Hospitality grew 8.3% in 2024, slowed to 1.5% in 2025 (RZS, Economic Trends 2024/2025)
- 76,600 workers directly employed in food and beverage, of 111,100 across all of tourism (PKS, 2024)
- 39,500 active business entities in tourism, including hospitality (PKS, 2024)
- Online delivery worth $110.7 million in 2024, projected growth to $156 million by 2029 at 7.1% CAGR (Statista Market Forecast, 2024)
- Wolt available in 32 Serbian cities, having crossed 24 million orders since 2019 (Wolt Newsroom Serbia, 2024)
- Wolt Market made up nearly a third of all Serbian orders in 2025, above the platform’s global average (Wolt Newsroom Serbia, January 2026)
- Foreign tourists visited Serbia 2.385 million times in 2024, growth of 12% (RZS, January 2025)
- Tourism brought Serbia €2.833 billion in foreign-currency revenue in 2024, growth of 11.4%, 19.6% of Serbia’s total services exports (NBS/PKS, 2024)
- Food prices fell 1.2% in March 2026, after spiking to about 8% annually mid-2025 (RZS, March 2026)
- Serbia received its first 2 Michelin stars in history (Michelin Guide Serbia 2025, October 2024)
- Belgrade records 25 Michelin selections in the 2026 guide, with 5 new entries (Michelin Guide Belgrade 2026)
1. Market size and economic contribution
Restaurant work isn’t a peripheral economic branch: food and beverage account for 55.5% of Serbia’s entire tourism GVA, which totals about €1.5 billion or 2% of GDP. The 8.3% growth in 2024 outpaced overall economic growth of 3.9%, but the slowdown to 1.5% in 2025 signals the sector’s sensitivity to tourism volume drops and inflationary pressure on consumer spending.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Gross value added, food and beverage | ~€845M | PKS, 2023 |
| Food and beverage share of tourism GVA | 55.5% | PKS, 2023 |
| Total tourism GVA Serbia | ~€1.5B | PKS, 2023 |
| Tourism GVA as % of Serbia GDP | ~2.0% | PKS, 2023 |
| Active entities in tourism (incl. hospitality) | 39,500 | PKS, 2024 |
| Hospitality sector growth, 2024 | +8.3% (real) | RZS, Dec 2024 |
| Hospitality sector growth, 2025 | +1.5% (real) | RZS, Dec 2025 |
| Serbia GDP growth, 2024 | +3.9% | RZS, Dec 2024 |
Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, Economic Trends 2024
2. Online food delivery
Wolt and Glovo rewrote the rules of Serbian hospitality. Online delivery is worth $110.7 million and growing toward $156 million by 2029 at an annual CAGR of 7.1%. The meal delivery segment grows 12.3% in 2025, while Wolt Market (groceries, retail) takes nearly a third of all Serbian orders, well above the platform’s global average.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Online delivery revenue, 2024 | $110.7M | Statista Market Forecast |
| Revenue projection, 2029 | $156M | Statista Market Forecast |
| Online delivery CAGR, 2024–2029 | 7.1% | Statista Market Forecast |
| Meal delivery revenue, 2024 | $36.64M | Statista Market Forecast |
| Meal delivery segment growth, 2025 | +12.3% | Statista Market Forecast |
| Total Wolt orders since 2019 | 24M+ | Wolt Newsroom Serbia, 2024 |
| Wolt cities in Serbia | 32 | Wolt, 2025 |
| Wolt Market share of orders, 2025 | ~1/3 of total | Wolt Newsroom Serbia, Jan 2026 |
Wolt Newsroom Serbia, annual review 2025
Restaurants that want digital visibility beyond delivery platforms can find ready solutions at Bezsajta.rs.
3. Employment and workforce
Hospitality is the dominant employer within tourism: of 111,100 workers in the sector, 76,600 — about 69% — work directly in food and beverage. With a minimum wage of 79,797 RSD per month in 2026, labor costs are below the EU average, but minimum wage growth pressures margins in a sector that traditionally operates on tight per-transaction profit.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total employed in tourism | 111,100 (4.8% of total employment) | PKS, 2024 |
| Employed directly in food and beverage | 76,600 | PKS, 2024 |
| Food and beverage share of tourism employment | ~69% | PKS, 2024 |
| Minimum wage Serbia, 2026 | 79,797 RSD/month | Minimum Wage Act, 2026 |
| Average gross wage, Q1 2026 | ~115,000–125,000 RSD | NBS/Trading Economics |
Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, Tourism Association
4. Tourism and foreign guest demand
Foreign guests are direct demand for restaurants in urban centers. Serbia received 2.385 million foreign tourists in 2024, growth of 12% over 2023, with a total of 6.098 million overnight stays. Tourism foreign-currency revenue grew to €2.833 billion, 19.6% of Serbia’s total services exports. In the first nine months of 2025, arrivals fell 1.6%, overnights 2.7%, partly due to internal circumstances that affected travel sentiment.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign tourist arrivals, 2024 | 2.385M (+12%) | RZS, Jan 2025 |
| Total tourist arrivals, 2024 | 4.43M | RZS, Jan 2025 |
| Tourist overnights, 2024 | 6.098M (+9.2%) | RZS, Jan 2025 |
| Tourist arrivals Jan–Sep 2025 | 3.326M (-1.6%) | RZS, Sep 2025 |
| Tourist overnights Jan–Sep 2025 | 9.589M (-2.7%) | RZS, Sep 2025 |
| Tourism foreign-currency revenue, 2024 | €2.833B (+11.4%) | NBS/PKS, 2024 |
| Share of total services exports | 19.6% | NBS/PKS, 2024 |
RZS, Tourism Traffic, December 2024
For restaurants that want to attract guests who research the offering online before arriving, a website with a menu and contact details is a direct channel: Bezsajta.rs.
5. Prices and inflationary pressure
Inflation restructured the costs of Serbian restaurant work. Food prices grew up to 8% annually in mid-2025, with spikes in fruit (+40%), coffee (+30%), and vegetables (+15%) directly hitting margins. By the end of 2025, government price controls and supply-chain normalization changed direction: food prices fell 1.2% year-over-year in March 2026. General inflation slowed to 2.4% in January 2026, the lowest level in several years.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| General inflation, average 2024 | 4.7% | NBS, 2024 |
| General inflation, average 2025 | 3.8% | NBS, 2025 |
| General inflation, January 2026 | 2.4% | NBS, Jan 2026 |
| Food inflation, peak mid-2025 | ~8% (annual) | Erste Group/NBS, 2025 |
| Food price change, January 2026 | -1.0% (annual) | NBS, Jan 2026 |
| Food price change, March 2026 | -1.2% (annual) | RZS, March 2026 |
RZS, Hospitality Service Price Indices, January 2026
Restaurants reducing dependence on high-commission delivery platforms reach guests directly through their own website: Bezsajta.rs.
6. International recognition and quality
The Michelin Guide’s entry into Serbia was a quality signal that lifted the entire scene. Serbia received its first two Michelin stars in history in 2025: Langouste in Belgrade and Fleur de Sel in Novi Slankamen. For 2026, Belgrade records 25 selections with 5 new entries, confirming that the Serbian capital has become a serious fine-dining destination in the region.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total Michelin selections Serbia, 2025 | 23 | Michelin Guide, Oct 2024 |
| Michelin stars Serbia, 2025 | 2 (Langouste, Fleur de Sel) | Michelin Guide, Oct 2024 |
| Michelin Bib Gourmand Serbia, 2025 | 1 | Michelin Guide, Oct 2024 |
| Total Michelin selections Belgrade, 2026 | 25 | Michelin Guide, 2026 |
| Michelin stars Belgrade, 2026 | 2 | Michelin Guide, 2026 |
| Michelin Bib Gourmand Belgrade, 2026 | 3 | Michelin Guide, 2026 |
| New Michelin selections Belgrade, 2026 | 5 | Michelin Guide, 2026 |
Numbers summary
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Gross value added, food and beverage | ~€845M | PKS, 2023 |
| Share of tourism GVA | 55.5% | PKS, 2023 |
| Tourism GVA as % of GDP | ~2.0% | PKS, 2023 |
| Active entities in tourism | 39,500 | PKS, 2024 |
| Hospitality sector growth, 2024 | +8.3% | RZS, Dec 2024 |
| Hospitality sector growth, 2025 | +1.5% | RZS, Dec 2025 |
| Serbia GDP growth, 2024 | +3.9% | RZS, Dec 2024 |
| Online delivery revenue, 2024 | $110.7M | Statista |
| Delivery revenue projection, 2029 | $156M | Statista |
| Online delivery CAGR, 2024–2029 | 7.1% | Statista |
| Wolt orders total since 2019 | 24M+ | Wolt Newsroom Serbia, 2024 |
| Wolt cities in Serbia | 32 | Wolt, 2025 |
| Employed in food and beverage | 76,600 | PKS, 2024 |
| Total employed in tourism | 111,100 | PKS, 2024 |
| Minimum wage, 2026 | 79,797 RSD/month | Minimum Wage Act |
| Foreign tourist arrivals, 2024 | 2.385M (+12%) | RZS, Jan 2025 |
| Tourist overnights, 2024 | 6.098M (+9.2%) | RZS, Jan 2025 |
| Tourism foreign-currency revenue, 2024 | €2.833B | NBS/PKS, 2024 |
| General inflation, January 2026 | 2.4% | NBS |
| Food price change, March 2026 | -1.2% | RZS |
| Michelin selections Serbia, 2025 | 23 | Michelin Guide |
| Michelin stars Serbia, 2025 | 2 | Michelin Guide |
| Michelin selections Belgrade, 2026 | 25 | Michelin Guide |
Methodology and sources
- Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (RZS), Economic Trends 2024
- Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (RZS), Economic Trends 2025
- Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (RZS), Tourism Traffic, December 2024
- Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (RZS), Tourism Traffic, September 2025
- Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (RZS), Hospitality Service Price Indices, January 2026
- Chamber of Commerce of Serbia (PKS), Tourism Association
- National Bank of Serbia (NBS), tourism foreign-currency revenue 2024, via SeeNews
- Wolt Newsroom Serbia, 10 years and 24 million orders, 2024
- Wolt Newsroom Serbia, annual review 2025
- Wolt Serbia, order analysis 2024 (NiraPress)
- Statista Market Forecast, Online Food Delivery Serbia
- Statista Market Forecast, Meal Delivery Serbia
- Michelin Guide Serbia 2025
- Michelin Guide Belgrade 2026
- Trading Economics, Serbia Food Inflation (based on RZS/NBS)
- Trading Economics, Serbia CPI Inflation
- Erste Group Research, Serbia Economy (cites NBS)
- Sensor Tower, Top Food Delivery Apps Serbia, Q2 2024
Last updated: April 2026. We update this page quarterly.