In 2023/24 approximately 3.12 million people used a food bank in the United Kingdom, an increase when compared with the previous year. Since 2008/09, the number of food bank users increased significantly, with just under 26,000 using food banks that year.

Food banks – charitable projects providing free parcels of food for people in need to take away, prepare and eat - have existed in high-income countries for decades, but their spread in the UK is generally linked to the establishment and growth of The Trussell Trust’s member-based food bank network. Since 2011, The Trussell Trust has been publishing data on the volume of food bank use across their network, made available from their standardised data collection system. These data have almost exclusively been the source of information on food bank use for the UK and, in the absence of national food insecurity monitoring before 2016, have typically been used as a barometer for food insecurity. The Trussell Trust’s model for food banks is also well-established, involving establishing relationships with third-party local social and health service agencies who provide referrals; requiring that people in need of assistance have a referral for use; collecting data through the referral system; and guiding their member food banks to follow-up with referral agencies if they provide more than three referrals to a single client in a 6-month period.

There is, however, increasing recognition of a much larger landscape of food parcel distribution through independent food banks not affiliated with The Trussell Trust. Research conducted by various researchers over 2014 to 2016 in England, Wales and Scotland found that in some places where no Trussell Trust food banks existed, there were well-established independent food banks operating. In other places, both Trussell Trust and independent food banks were operating. In 2017, Sabine Goodwin on behalf of the Independent Food Aid Network, identified over 500 food parcel distribution projects or food banks (for ease, referred to as food banks going forward) operating outside of The Trussell Trust’s food bank network.

Although it has been evident that there are a large number of independent organisations and charities distributing food parcels, little has been known about when or why they were established, how they operate, and whom they serve. This lack of insight stands in contrast with research produced about, and from, The Trussell Trust, which includes numerous studies on the characteristics of people using their food banks and ways of operating, and qualitative studies of the user experience.

To begin to fill these gaps, this survey of independent food banks was undertaken to build understanding of independent food parcel distribution projects operating outside of The Trussell Trust in England over 2018 to 2019.

The aim of this research was to understand the role independent food banks have in responding to hunger and food poverty in the UK.

The specific topics explored in this survey were: • Independent food banks' aims, services offered, and other activities engaged in both locally and nationally related to food poverty; • The operational characteristics of independent food banks including when they opened, how they are staffed, opening times, how data is collected, and how food parcels are made up. The potential factors that influence these, including funding, space availability, and influence of other organisations, were also explored. • Groups independent food banks serve and how people access their services; and • How independent food banks experience and respond to changes in demand, and opinions about how food bank usage could be reduced.

Nearly unheard of before 2010, in 2014/15 the UK's largest network of food banks, the Trussell Trust, distributed over one million food parcels, over sixteen-times the number distributed in 2010/11.

In light of rising food bank use, the issue of hunger is at the forefront of domestic political debate in the UK. Have welfare reforms caused rising hunger or are people just taking advantage of newly available free food? Are people really struggling to afford enough food or is this a problem of lack of food skills? These debates have revealed the limited evidence on the scope and causes of insecure access to food in the UK, impeding development of appropriate policy and practice responses.

This project was part of a wider study that explored food insecurity in the UK. The aims of this aspect of the project were to gather data on food banks operating independently of the Trussell Trust to understand when they started operating, their reasons for doing so, dynamics of their operations in relation to need, and the constraints on their services that might influence the numbers of people who receive food from them. Gathering this information provided critical information for understanding trends of rising food bank use since 2010.

In 2023/24, approximately 454,750 people used a food bank in London, an increase of 99,790 when compared to the previous year. Food bank use in London has steadily climbed recently, with just 11,866 users recorded in 2011/12.

As of 2024, there were 975 food banks in Germany. This was an increase compared to the previous year at 964. It was also the highest number of food banks since 1993, when the German Tafel scheme was set up. Food bank usage ‘Tafel’ in Germany is an organization that it similar to the concept of food banks in the United States. These food banks operate at a regional level and provide food that would otherwise be destroyed to those in need either for free or at a heavily discounted price. In 2022, around two million people were using food banks in Germany, this was the highest figure since 2014. This new peak is likely due to the large increase in food prices over the past two years. Both 2022 and 2023 saw a year-on-year increase of over 12 percent. It is not just Germany that is facing higher food prices. Countries across the world have been experiencing a rise in the price of groceries. Over 10 percent of people living in Spain, Great Britain, Germany, France, and Italy said that it was usually difficult for them to afford food items at the end of 2022. In France and Italy there were noticeably higher rates. Poverty When it came to the average financial wealth of adults in Europe, Switzerland, Iceland, and Denmark topped the list. Germany ranked 13th on the list, with average wealth of adults at 113,00 U.S. dollars. This average, however, does not represent the entire population, and there are people in Germany, as in every country, who struggle to finance day-to-day life. In 2022, there were around 16.7 percent of people at risk of living in poverty. This was a slight decrease compared to the previous year, but still significantly higher than in previous years. In certain cities the risk of living in poverty was even higher than the national average. The city of Duisburg, which is located in western Germany, had an at risk of living in poverty rate of over 30 percent. In Bremen, a city close to Hamburg, the share of those facing financial difficulties was almost 30 percent.

In 2023/24 there were 1,699 food bank distribution centers run by the UK's main food bank distributor, the Trussell Trust, compared with 1,646 in the previous year. In this year, over 3.12 million people used a food bank in the UK, compared with just under 26,000 in 2008/09.

In 2022, around two million people in Germany used food banks. This was an increase compared to 2019, perhaps due to inflation and rising food prices.

Abstract

The basic goal of this survey is to provide the necessary database for formulating national policies at various levels. It represents the contribution of the household sector to the Gross National Product (GNP). Household Surveys help as well in determining the incidence of poverty, and providing weighted data which reflects the relative importance of the consumption items to be employed in determining the benchmark for rates and prices of items and services. Generally, the Household Expenditure and Consumption Survey is a fundamental cornerstone in the process of studying the nutritional status in the Palestinian territory.

The raw survey data provided by the Statistical Office was cleaned and harmonized by the Economic Research Forum, in the context of a major research project to develop and expand knowledge on equity and inequality in the Arab region. The main focus of the project is to measure the magnitude and direction of change in inequality and to understand the complex contributing social, political and economic forces influencing its levels. However, the measurement and analysis of the magnitude and direction of change in this inequality cannot be consistently carried out without harmonized and comparable micro-level data on income and expenditures. Therefore, one important component of this research project is securing and harmonizing household surveys from as many countries in the region as possible, adhering to international statistics on household living standards distribution. Once the dataset has been compiled, the Economic Research Forum makes it available, subject to confidentiality agreements, to all researchers and institutions concerned with data collection and issues of inequality. Data is a public good, in the interest of the region, and it is consistent with the Economic Research Forum's mandate to make micro data available, aiding regional research on this important topic.

Geographic coverage

The survey data covers urban, rural and camp areas in West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Analysis unit

1- Household/families. 2- Individuals.

Universe

The survey covered all Palestinian households who are usually resident in the Palestinian Territory during 2010.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Sample and Frame:

The sampling frame consists of all enumeration areas which were enumerated in 2007, each numeration area consists of buildings and housing units with average of about 120 households in it. These enumeration areas are used as primary sampling units PSUs in the first stage of the sampling selection.

Sample Design:

The sample is a stratified cluster systematic random sample with two stages: First stage: selection of a systematic random sample of 192 enumeration areas. Second stage: selection of a systematic random sample of 24 households from each enumeration area selected in the first stage.

Note: in Jerusalem Governorate (J1), 13 enumeration areas were selected; then in the second phase, a group of households from each enumeration area were chosen using census-2007 method of delineation and enumeration. This method was adopted to ensure household response is to the maximum to comply with the percentage of non-response as set in the sample design.Enumeration areas were distributed to twelve months and the sample for each quarter covers sample strata (Governorate, locality type) Sample strata:

The population was divided by:

1- Governorate 2- Type of Locality (urban, rural, refugee camps)

Sample Size:

The calculated sample size for the Expenditure and Consumption Survey in 2010 is about 3,757 households, 2,574 households in West Bank and 1,183 households in Gaza Strip.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The questionnaire consists of two main parts:

First: Survey's questionnaire

Part of the questionnaire is to be filled in during the visit at the beginning of the month, while the other part is to be filled in at the end of the month. The questionnaire includes:

Control sheet: Includes household’s identification data, date of visit, data on the fieldwork and data processing team, and summary of household’s members by gender.

Household roster: Includes demographic, social, and economic characteristics of household’s members.

Housing characteristics: Includes data like type of housing unit, number of rooms, value of rent, and connection of housing unit to basic services like water, electricity and sewage. In addition, data in this section includes source of energy used for cooking and heating, distance of housing unit from transportation, education, and health centers, and sources of income generation like ownership of farm land or animals.

Food and Non-Food Items: includes food and non-food items, and household record her expenditure for one month.

Durable Goods Schedule: Includes list of main goods like washing machine, refrigerator,TV.

Assistances and Poverty: Includes data about cash and in kind assistances (assistance value,assistance source), also collecting data about household situation, and the procedures to cover expenses.

Monthly and annual income: Data pertinent to household’s income from different sources is collected at the end of the registration period.

Second: List of goods

The classification of the list of goods is based on the recommendation of the United Nations for the SNA under the name Classification of Personal Consumption by purpose. The list includes 55 groups of expenditure and consumption where each is given a sequence number based on its importance to the household starting with food goods, clothing groups, housing, medical treatment, transportation and communication, and lastly durable goods. Each group consists of important goods. The total number of goods in all groups amounted to 667 items for goods and services. Groups from 1-21 includes goods pertinent to food, drinks and cigarettes. Group 22 includes goods that are home produced and consumed by the household. The groups 23-45 include all items except food, drinks and cigarettes. The groups 50-55 include durable goods. The data is collected based on different reference periods to represent expenditure during the whole year except for cars where data is collected for the last three years.

Registration form

The registration form includes instructions and examples on how to record consumption and expenditure items. The form includes columns: 1.Monetary: If the good is purchased, or in kind: if the item is self produced. 2.Title of the service of the good 3.Unit of measurement (kilogram, liter, number) 4. Quantity 5. Value

The pages of the registration form are colored differently for the weeks of the month. The footer for each page includes remarks that encourage households to participate in the survey. The following are instructions that illustrate the nature of the items that should be recorded: 1. Monetary expenditures during purchases 2. Purchases based on debts 3.Monetary gifts once presented 4. Interest at pay 5. Self produced food and goods once consumed 6. Food and merchandise from commercial project once consumed 7. Merchandises once received as a wage or part of a wage from the employer.

Cleaning operations

Raw Data

Data editing took place through a number of stages, including: 1. Office editing and coding 2. Data entry 3. Structure checking and completeness 4. Structural checking of SPSS data files

Harmonized Data

• The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) is used to clean and harmonize the datasets.
• The harmonization process starts with cleaning all raw data files received from the Statistical Office.
• Cleaned data files are then all merged to produce one data file on the individual level containing all variables subject to harmonization.
• A country-specific program is generated for each dataset to generate/compute/recode/rename/format/label harmonized variables.
• A post-harmonization cleaning process is run on the data.
• Harmonized data is saved on the household as well as the individual level, in SPSS and converted to STATA format.

Response rate

The survey sample consisted of 4,767 households, which includes 4,608 households of the original sample plus 159 households as an additional sample. A total of 3,757 households completed the interview: 2,574 households from the West Bank and 1,183 households in the Gaza Strip. Weights were modified to account for the non-response rate. The response rate in the Palestinian Territory 28.1% (82.4% in the West Bank was and 81.6% in Gaza Strip).

Sampling error estimates

The impact of errors on data quality was reduced to a minimum due to the high efficiency and outstanding selection, training, and performance of the fieldworkers. Procedures adopted during the fieldwork of the survey were considered a necessity to ensure the collection of accurate data, notably: 1) Develop schedules to conduct field visits to households during survey fieldwork. The objectives of the visits and the data collected on each visit were predetermined. 2) Fieldwork editing rules were applied during the data collection to ensure corrections were implemented before the end of fieldwork activities. 3) Fieldworkers were instructed to provide details in cases of extreme expenditure or consumption by the household. 4) Questions on income were postponed until the final visit at the end of the month. 5) Validation rules were embedded in the data processing systems, along with procedures to verify data entry and data edit.

Graph and download economic data for Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food at Home in U.S. City Average (CUSR0000SAF11) from Jan 1952 to Feb 2025 about urban, food, consumer, CPI, housing, inflation, price index, indexes, price, and USA.

Japan JP: GDP: % of Manufacturing: Food, Beverages and Tobacco data was reported at 12.893 % in 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 12.847 % for 2010. Japan JP: GDP: % of Manufacturing: Food, Beverages and Tobacco data is updated yearly, averaging 9.773 % from Dec 1963 (Median) to 2012, with 49 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14.415 % in 2009 and a record low of 7.863 % in 1970. Japan JP: GDP: % of Manufacturing: Food, Beverages and Tobacco data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank: Gross Domestic Product: Share of GDP. Value added in manufacturing is the sum of gross output less the value of intermediate inputs used in production for industries classified in ISIC major division D. Food, beverages, and tobacco correspond to ISIC divisions 15 and 16.; ; United Nations Industrial Development Organization, International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics.; ;

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Avg Monthly Household Consumption: Non Food: Cash: Recreation data was reported at 14.500 JOD in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 13.800 JOD for 2011. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Avg Monthly Household Consumption: Non Food: Cash: Recreation data is updated yearly, averaging 15.550 JOD from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2017, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 31.400 JOD in 2010 and a record low of 11.600 JOD in 2006. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Avg Monthly Household Consumption: Non Food: Cash: Recreation data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.H001: Average Monthly Household Consumption and Expenditure.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Industrial Production: Food and Beverage Service Activities data was reported at 145,704.600 USD th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 121,834.100 USD th for 2016. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Industrial Production: Food and Beverage Service Activities data is updated yearly, averaging 104,807.681 USD th from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 145,704.600 USD th in 2017 and a record low of 67,009.500 USD th in 2011. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Industrial Production: Food and Beverage Service Activities data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.B005: Industrial Production.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Industrial Production: Manufacture of Food Products data was reported at 471,626.700 USD th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 454,920.000 USD th for 2016. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Industrial Production: Manufacture of Food Products data is updated yearly, averaging 423,556.200 USD th from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 523,297.296 USD th in 2013 and a record low of 317,587.400 USD th in 2011. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Industrial Production: Manufacture of Food Products data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.B005: Industrial Production.

Peru PE: GDP: % of Manufacturing: Food, Beverages and Tobacco data was reported at 32.457 % in 2011. This records an increase from the previous number of 29.574 % for 2010. Peru PE: GDP: % of Manufacturing: Food, Beverages and Tobacco data is updated yearly, averaging 26.432 % from Dec 1974 (Median) to 2011, with 33 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 33.902 % in 2002 and a record low of 19.536 % in 1985. Peru PE: GDP: % of Manufacturing: Food, Beverages and Tobacco data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Peru – Table PE.World Bank: Gross Domestic Product: Share of GDP. Value added in manufacturing is the sum of gross output less the value of intermediate inputs used in production for industries classified in ISIC major division D. Food, beverages, and tobacco correspond to ISIC divisions 15 and 16.; ; United Nations Industrial Development Organization, International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics.; ;

European Union GVA: CL 2020p: EA 20: Wholesale&Retail,Transport, Accommodation&Food data was reported at 547.050 EUR bn in Sep 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 537.338 EUR bn for Jun 2024. European Union GVA: CL 2020p: EA 20: Wholesale&Retail,Transport, Accommodation&Food data is updated quarterly, averaging 457.763 EUR bn from Mar 1995 (Median) to Sep 2024, with 119 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 547.050 EUR bn in Sep 2024 and a record low of 320.291 EUR bn in Mar 1995. European Union GVA: CL 2020p: EA 20: Wholesale&Retail,Transport, Accommodation&Food data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by European Central Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s European Union – Table EU.A038: ESA 2010: European Central Bank: Gross Value Added: By Industry: Chain Linked 2020 Price.

In October 2024, the inflation rate for food prices in the United Kingdom was measured at 1.9 percent. A period of continuous deflation between March 2015 and January 2017 preceded a return to a sustained rise of the cost of food from February 2017 onwards. While food prices were deflating between September 2020 and July 2021, they started increasing rapidly from August 2021 to March 2023. The inflation rate started to decline from April 2023. Inflation rate and consumer price indexInflation is commonly measured via the consumer price index, which illustrates changes to prices paid by consumers for a representative basket of goods and services. An annualized percentage change in the price index constitutes a measure of inflation. In order to maintain an inflation rate at a stable level, to enable the general public and businesses to plan their spending, the Government set a two percent inflation target for the Bank of England. The discounter boom The increase in food prices in the United Kingdom has shifted shopping behaviours amongst consumers. Value is now key and shoppers are changing their retailer loyalties. Aldi, the German discount supermarket retailer, overtook Morrisons as Great Britain's fourth largest supermarket in September of 2022. Aldi's market share reached double digits for the first time in April 2023. It is yet to be seen if Lidl, Aldi's discounter competitor, can also continue to rise up in the ranks and eventually take over Morrisons as the fifth leading food retailer.

Graph and download economic data for Average Price: All Soft Drinks (Cost per 2 Liters/67.6 Ounces) in U.S. City Average (APU0000FN1101) from Apr 2018 to Feb 2025 about other food items, retail, price, and USA.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Industrial Production: Gaza Strip: Manufacture of Food Products data was reported at 129,055.500 USD th in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 113,155.400 USD th for 2016. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Industrial Production: Gaza Strip: Manufacture of Food Products data is updated yearly, averaging 111,931.300 USD th from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 130,107.131 USD th in 2013 and a record low of 69,237.000 USD th in 2011. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Industrial Production: Gaza Strip: Manufacture of Food Products data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.B005: Industrial Production.

Over the observed period the inflation rate in Hungary only reached negative values in 2014 and 2015. According to the Hungarian National Bank, in 2023, the country's inflation rate recorded a 17.6 percent increase compared to the previous year. According to the findings of a survey conducted among the population in 2022, the majority of Hungarians expected the yearly inflation rate to reach six to eight percent. Fighting rising prices As of January 2022, inflation rate for food totaled over 10 percent in the country, making it the product group with the second biggest price increase, right after motor fuels. In February 2022, Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán introduced price caps on basic food products such as cooking oil, flour, sugar, milk, pork leg, and chicken breast as a means to fight peaking inflation rates. Hungarians’ purchasing power per capita As of 2022, the highest purchasing power per person was recorded in the country’s capital, Budapest where residents had on average 129 percent at their disposal to spend or put into savings. At the same time, Komárom-Esztergom was the second wealthiest county in Hungary with purchasing power per capita totaling 111 percent.

Aruba AW: Exports: % of Goods Exports: Food data was reported at 67.317 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 66.393 % for 2022. Aruba AW: Exports: % of Goods Exports: Food data is updated yearly, averaging 50.102 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 82.247 % in 2010 and a record low of 1.185 % in 2005. Aruba AW: Exports: % of Goods Exports: Food data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Aruba – Table AW.World Bank.WDI: Exports. Food comprises the commodities in SITC sections 0 (food and live animals), 1 (beverages and tobacco), and 4 (animal and vegetable oils and fats) and SITC division 22 (oil seeds, oil nuts, and oil kernels).;World Bank staff estimates through the WITS platform from the Comtrade database maintained by the United Nations Statistics Division.;Weighted average;Merchandise export shares may not sum to 100 percent because of unclassified trade.

In February 2025, the Consumer Price Index including owner occupiers' housing costs (CPIH) inflation rate of the United Kingdom was 3.7 percent, unchanged from the previous month. The inflation rate fell noticeably after the COVID-19 pandemic, but rose sharply between Spring 2021 and Autumn 2022. After peaking at 9.6 percent in October 2022, CPIH inflation declined throughout 2023 and into 2024, falling to 2.6 percent by September of that year, before increasing again in recent months. Cost of living problems persist into 2025 Although it is likely that the worst of the recent inflation surge may have passed, the issues caused by it look set to linger into 2025 and beyond. While the share of households experiencing living cost rises has fallen from 91 percent in August 2022, to 45 percent in July 2024, this share rose towards the end of the year, with more than half of households reporting rising costs in December. Even with lower inflation, overall consumer prices have already increased by around 20 percent in the last three years, rising to almost 30 percent for food prices, which lower income households typically spend more of their income on. The significant increase in people relying on food banks across the UK, is evidence of the magnitude of this problem, with approximately 3.12 million people using food banks in 2023/24. Other measure of inflation While the CPIH inflation rate displayed here is the preferred index of the UK's Office of National Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is often more prominently featured in the media in general. An older index, the Retail Price Index (RPI) is also still used by the government to calculate certain taxes, and rail fare rises. Other metrics include the core inflation rate, which measures prices increases without the volatility of food and energy costs, while price increases in goods and services can also be tracked separately. The inflation rate of individual sectors can also be measured, and as of December 2024, prices were rising fastest in the communications sector, at 6.1 percent, with costs falling in the transport and furniture sectors.