Percentage of households living with food insecurity (2023/24 and 2024/25)
Last updated: August 2026
Next estimated update: May 2027
What does this indicator show?
This indicator shows the proportion of people experiencing food insecurity, split by the type of household. We can use it to see how many people in London and the rest of England are struggling to access enough affordable and nutritious food, and which household types are most likely to be in food insecurity.
What is food insecurity?
Someone is counted as experiencing food insecurity if they or their household members have at times had their food intakes disrupted or reduced, or that they reduced the quality, variety or desirability of their diets because of a lack of money or resources
What does it tell us?
Food insecurity has increased significantly
In the last two years, food insecurity has increased significantly in London - from 9% to 12% of households. This means that the level of food insecurity in London has increased by 23%, in just two years.
It has also increased in the rest of England, but not to the same extent - from 9% to 10%. This significant increase illustrates the increased pressure households are facing because of high costs, such as rising energy costs and, especially in London, the housing crisis.
Most common among households with multiple children
The change has been especially stark for households with three or more children. In 2022/23, 20% of these families experienced food insecurity. In 2024/25, it had increased to 27%. This is higher than any other group shown here.
How London differs from the rest of England
Food insecurity rates are higher in London than the rest of England regardless of the number of children in the household, with the exception of families with one child, where the rates are almost the same (11% and 12% respectively).
