Almost a sixth of UK adults are now being forced to skip meals as the cost of living continues to weigh on the general public.
Food inflation is pricing 16% of individuals out of regular meals, according to new data, while 15% of people said they have to borrow money from loved ones or from the bank just to get groceries.
It was an even bleaker picture among some demographics – 28% of British adults who are unemployed say they are skipping meals, the same proportion of Gen Z who are doing the same.
In fact, 15% of Brits say they have to make a choice between paying energy bills and getting enough groceries for their family.
For 7%, they had to stop paying for either their own hobbies or their children’s because of the rising food inflation.
With fresh food inflation climbing to 1.5% in September, from 1% in August, it is not surprising 28% of Brits are looking to cheaper, processed foods.
The statistics, pulled together by social enterprise Wonderbag and conducted last week, used a sample size of 2,023 participants – and only 32% said their relationship with food had not altered amid the cost of living crisis.
Sarah Collins, chief executive and founder of Wonderbag, said: “It’s hard to believe that it’s now three years since the cost of living crisis began, yet there are still millions of people across the UK in urgent need of support when it comes to being able to afford food.
“The fact that almost 1-in-6 people are skipping meals should serve as a call to action for the government to increase their support in this area, with food charities currently plugging the gap. ”
On Tuesday, pollsters at More in Common found most respondents (61%) thought the cost of living was the greatest priority for the country, putting it above concerns about the NHS (43%) and immigration (30%).