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Key Stats
18% of households experienced food insecurity in January 2023 affecting over 9 million adults
24% of households with children experienced food insecurity in January 2023 affecting an estimated 4 million children
Food price inflation has risen by 18.2% in the 12 months to February 2023
The cost of a Basic Basket of food has increased by approximately 20-25% since the beginning of April 2022
The poorest fifth of UK households would need to spend 43% of their disposable income on food to meet the cost of the Government-recommended healthy diet. This compares to just 10% for the richest fifth.
More healthy foods are nearly three times as expensive per calorie as less healthy foods
900,000 children living in poverty in England do not qualify for Free School Meals
Children in the most deprived tenth are twice as likely to have obesity as the least deprived tenth
One in five children have overweight or obesity in their first year of school
Healthy life expectancy is 18 years less for men and 20 years less for women in the most deprived tenth compared to the least deprived tenth
22% of places to buy food in the least deprived fifth of local authorities are fast-food outlets compared with 31% in the most deprived fifth.
49% of households on Universal Credit experienced food insecurity in January 2023
57% of food insecure households have cut down on buying fruit and 42% have cut down on buying veg
Households with someone limited a lot by disability are more than three times as likely to experience food insecurity as households with no disabilities
To ensure that everyone can eat well during the cost of living crisis, The Food Foundation are calling for:
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Urgent action to ensure that all children in poverty have access to at least one nutritious meal a day at school by expanding the provision of Free School Meals to all children on Universal Credit.
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Government to set minimum wage and benefits levels at a value that takes into account the cost of a healthy diet and other essentials.
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Action by retailers to make it easier for people to afford the food they need and rebalance the cost of a basic shopping basket to make the healthy options the most affordable.
Our current work in this area is funded by
