Brief
Foodbank reports one‑third of Australian households facing food insecurity
Foodbank's research shows 33% of households experienced food insecurity over the past year, with sharp price rises in fuel and staples.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Foodbank released new research on Monday showing that 3.6 million Australian households – about one in three – have experienced food insecurity over the past 12 months, according to the charity’s survey of nearly 6,000 people.
What happened
The survey, conducted by Foodbank, applied the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s definition of food insecurity. It found that 33% of households reported insufficient access to nourishing food, a slight rise from 32.8% in 2025 but still below the 35.9% recorded in 2023. The study highlighted stark differences by age, income and location: 48% of households headed by people aged 18‑34 were food‑insecure, compared with 19% of those with members over 55. Indigenous households reported the highest rate at 57%.
What the reports add
Foodbank noted that price increases were a major driver. Petrol prices rose almost 14% over the past year, while beef, lamb and milk prices climbed 9.4%, 10.1% and 8% respectively. The charity also observed that 70% of food‑insecure households reduced driving or switched to cheaper transport, compared with 41% of food‑secure households.
What was said
Foodbank Australia chief executive and former independent MP Kylea Tink said the findings show food insecurity has become entrenched across the country and is now affecting more middle‑income families. “We call ourselves the lucky country, but for one in three households, Australia is now the hungry country,” Tink told SMH. She added, “A wage used to be what kept food on the table, but for a growing number of working Australians, their pay packet no longer stretches that far.”
How it came about
The research was released ahead of upcoming inflation data, which are expected to confirm continued price pressures on household essentials and could prompt another interest‑rate rise by the Reserve Bank of Australia at its next meeting. Foodbank’s findings follow earlier reports on rising living costs in Australia and elsewhere, including recent coverage of cost‑of‑living protests in Europe and household spending cuts in South Africa.
Key facts
- Foodbank surveyed nearly 6,000 Australians and found 33% of households experienced food insecurity in the past year. (smh.com.au)
- Food insecurity was highest among Indigenous households (57%) and youngest adults (48%). (smh.com.au)
- Petrol prices rose almost 14% over the past year, while beef, lamb and milk rose 9.4%, 10.1% and 8% respectively. (smh.com.au)
- 70% of food‑insecure households reduced driving or switched to cheaper transport, versus 41% of food‑secure households. (smh.com.au)
- Foodbank chief executive Kylea Tink said Australia has become a "hungry country" for one in three households. (smh.com.au)
Sources
- [1] smh.com.au — originally reported as “Australia cost of living: A third of households struggling to feed themselves”
