People in Great Britain's experiences of and actions following increases in their costs of living, and how these differed by a range of personal characteristics.

In a January 2025 survey on domestic travel in the United Kingdom, 23 percent of respondents planned to book cheaper accommodation services in the next six months due to the cost of living crisis. Looking for more free activities and spending less on eating out were other popular strategies planned by domestic travelers to save money.

In a survey carried out in August 2023, about 28 percent of respondents in the United Kingdom stated that they were eating less healthily to save money. More concretely, about 19 percent stated they were eating more ready meals and processed foods.

This statistic illustrates the impact of the ongoing cost of living crisis on UK consumers in 2023. According to the survey by We Are Social and Statista Q conducted in April 2023, around one-third of the consumers feel highly affected by the situation, whereas only 2 percent respondents don't feel affected by the cost of living crisis at all.

According to an April 2023 survey conducted by We Are Social and Statista Q, about 68 percent of UK consumers spend less on non-essentials in reaction to the cost of living crisis, whereas 63 percent pay more attention to bargains, good deals, or offers (when shopping). Similarly, more than half of respondents use less gas and electricity in their homes to deal with the situation.

In March 2025, 66 percent of households in Great Britain reported that their cost of living had increased in the previous month, compared with 45 percent in July 2024. Although the share of people reporting a cost of living increase has generally been falling since August 2022, when 91 percent of households reported an increase, the most recent figures indicate that the Cost of Living Crisis is still ongoing for many households in the UK. Crisis ligers even as inflation falls Although various factors have been driving the Cost of Living Crisis in Britain, high inflation has undoubtedly been one of the main factors. After several years of relatively low inflation, the CPI inflation rate shot up from 2021 onwards, hitting a high of 11.1 percent in October 2022. In the months since that peak, inflation has fallen to more usual levels, and was 2.5 percent in December 2024, slightly up from 1.7 percent in September. Since June 2023, wages have also started to grow at a faster rate than inflation, albeit after a long period where average wages were falling relative to overall price increases. Economy continues to be the main issue for voters Ahead of the last UK general election, the economy was consistently selected as the main issue for voters for several months. Although the Conservative Party was seen by voters as the best party for handling the economy before October 2022, this perception collapsed following the market's reaction to Liz Truss' mini-budget. Even after changing their leader from Truss to Rishi Sunak, the Conservatives continued to fall in the polls, and would go onto lose the election decisively. Since the election, the economy remains the most important issue in the UK, although it was only slightly ahead of immigration and health as of January 2025.

As of April 2022, a week after Ofgem's cap on energy cost was increased, around 72.7 percent of survey respondents reported their car purchasing intentions were impacted by the cost of living crisis in the United Kingdom. Around 30.4 percent of consumers mentioned looking to buy a cheaper car as a result of the crisis, while around 27.3 percent car buyers were not influenced by the price increases.

In April 2025, 92 percent of households in Great Britain that reported a cost of living increase in the previous month advised that that their food bills had increased, with 80 percent reporting increased gas or electricity bills.

This statistic shows the percentage change in the quantity of goods bought (retail sales volume) in Great Britain, from January 2017 to August 2023. The volume of all retail sales since April 2022 to August 2023 saw a decline, with a drop of 0.4 percent reported in the most recent period. The decline in retail sales is seen as an impact of the cost of living crisis and inflation in the UK and elsewhere in world.

As of April 2022, approximately 73 percent of UK respondents reported the cost of living crisis in the United Kingdom had an impact on their car purchasing intentions. The increased cost of energy bills was the second factor most impacting car buyers, with 72 percent of respondents reporting this would make them delay their purchase, or buy a smaller or cheaper vehicle.

The UK's average credit card debt per household grew by 151 British pounds between December 2021 and December 2022, the first increase since 2020. Standing at 2,229 British pounds at December 2022, the figure contrasts with the decline in 2020 – when the debt declined from 2,594 British pounds to 2,083 British pounds. That particular drop was likely a result of Covid-19's economic impact, and consumers trying to get rid of their credit card debt. The increase in 2022 may be caused by growing interest rates and the cost of living crisis beginning to take shape.

Purpose: The relative income hypothesis theorises that one’s earnings relative to others exert a greater influence on subjective wellbeing than absolute income. Understanding the relationship between relative income and mental health could contribute to employee wellbeing. This review aimed to summarise the defining features of relative income in relation to mental health and how it is measured in the literature. In addition, it aimed to explore the relationship between relative income and mental health in those currently employed in the UK. Methods: Nine electronic databases were searched using a pre-defined search strategy: PubMed (including MEDLINE and PubMed Central), PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, Global Health, JSTOR, Business Source Complete (EBSCO), ScienceDirect and Emerald. The protocol was pre-registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023408657). Quantitative and qualitative studies and grey literature, which described the defining features and measurement of relative income and its impact on mental health among UK employees, were included. Results: After screening, 13 studies were included in the review. A conceptualisation of relative income revealed that an income comparison is either researcher-defined using averages or self-assessed based on a person’s perception. Having a lower income than the reference group was commonly associated with diminished wellbeing, though moderating factors (gender, income inequality and composition of reference group) were identified. Conclusions: Having a lower income than the reference group is associated with poorer wellbeing. Implications for practice and policy are considered amidst the UK’s ‘cost of living crisis’ and ongoing pay disputes in various sectors.

According to a survey conducted by Voxburner in 2022, approximately 80 percent of members of students in the United Kingdom advised that due to the Cost of Living crisis, they would cut down on non-essential spending.

The purpose of this study is to explore the types of social support that are available to breastfeeding parents. Despite extensive research which demonstrates the multitude of health benefits that breastfeeding brings for both parent and baby, the UK has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. This research aims to identify what kind of support parents have access to and how these influence breastfeeding experiences, particularly in the context of the cost-of-living crisis.

Breastfeeding is known to have many health benefits, both for mother and baby. Breast milk production is known to lower the risk of health issues such as breast and ovarian cancers and osteoporosis for the mother (NHS, 2023). For babies, breast milk provides protection against many types of infection and long-term protection against asthma and cardiovascular disease in adulthood (see review: Horta, Bahl, Martines & Victora, 2007). The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as giving only breastmilk, no other food or liquid (WHO, 2003). This includes expressed breastmilk from a bottle. Despite extensive research demonstrating the benefits of breastfeeding, the United Kingdom (UK) has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. The last UK-wide Infant Feeding Survey (2010) found that only 1% of babies are exclusively breastfed until 6 months (McAndrews et al., 2012).

Breastfeeding and Health Practitioner - Patient Relationships Breastfeeding self efficacy is a positive predictor of breastfeeding outcomes such as initiation and duration (Lau, Lok & Tarrant, 2018). In order to improve breastfeeding rates, HPs need to be able to identify which factors may be receptive to intervention (Dennis & Faux, 1999). HP support has a direct impact on four themes that influence breastfeeding experiences: attitudes, information availability, birthing experience and maternal mental health (Norman et al., 2022). This kind of support is not always observed, perhaps due to a lack of organisational support and practitioner-related barriers (Coates & Foureur, 2019). Parents tend to favour other types of support over support from health services. Mothers report feeling rushed by HPs, and that HPs are often unavailable and unhelpful (McInnes & Chambers, 2008). Mothers report feeling coerced into breastfeeding by their HPs because they have not been given enough information due to appointments feeling rushed (Battersby, 2016). It appears that HP-patient relationships are hindered in breastfeeding, particularly by time restraints and a lack of standardised training. Disabled people, ethnic minorities and women have been disproportionately affected by the Cost of Living Crisis (CLC) (Wetherall et al., 2023), due to increased risk of already living in poverty. The global pandemic has been shown to have significantly impacted breastfeeding support (Turner et al., 2022), partially through decreased HP support due to extra strains on resources however, there is no current research that looks at the impact of the CLC on breastfeeding experiences in the UK. Aims: -To investigate how the CLC has impacted health service support for breastfeeding parents. -To investigate the impact of patient satisfaction, appointment lengths and appointment cancellations on breastfeeding self-efficacy, in the context of the cost-of-living crisis.

Breastfeeding, Partner Support and Socio-economic status (SES): Breastfeeding has been found to be significantly influenced by social support, especially by partner support (Davidson and Ollerton, 2020). Partner support has been found to not only impact decision making around continuation and initiation of breastfeeding, but also is implicated in early discontinuation (Ogbo et al., 2017). This support can take various forms, however practical support (help with household tasks and other childcare) and emotional support (expressions of value and encouragement) have been highlighted as particularly important (Rempel and Rempel, 2011). To ensure positive breastfeeding outcomes, that result in infants reaping the many health benefits that are associated with breastmilk (WHO, 2014), understanding how mothers are supported by their partners is crucial.

Moreover several demographic determinants have emerged, which link breastfeeding outcomes to SES (Dieterich et al., 2013). Breastfeeding inequalities exist, whereby higher breastfeeding rates are often seen among families with higher income (Hunt et al., 2021). In addition, older mothers, with more educational qualifications were found to be more likely to breastfeed at 6 weeks (Simpson et al., 2022). Longer maternity leave is also associated with longer breastfeeding durations (Hawkins et al., 2007). Partner support has also been associated with SES, whereby younger male partners with lower education levels show less support for their spouses, and exclusive breastfeeding rates are higher among mothers whose spouses had higher education levels (Durmazoğlu et al., 2021). However, the interplay between partner support and SES remains understudied.

Moreover, the current cost of living crisis in the UK provides a novel context to explore how women's reliance on partner support has changed and how SES plays a role in how they have been impacted by the financial unrest. Many mothers have reported that they are their partner have returned to work earlier than planned or desired, due to increased costs of living (Maternity Action, 2023). In turn, this may impact breastfeeding outcomes and partner support available to mothers. Aims - To investigate how partner support varies across levels of SES. - To explore in what ways mothers have been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis and how this may explain different levels of partner support.

Breastfeeding and Single Mothers: Vast amounts of research suggest that partner support is one of the many forms of social support a breastfeeding mother can receive, and that it is considered the most important to encourage a positive feeding experience (Bhairo & Elliott, 2018). One study identified that father support is one of the main factors influencing a mother to breastfeed and that there are five behaviours in particular, including having a positive attitude towards the breastfeeding mother and providing practical support that all positively influenced the mothers feeding experience (Sherriff et al., 2014). In addition, other studies argue that the mothers themselves say that having their child’s father to support them is one of the main reasons encouraging them to breastfeed, and is associated with increased breastfeeding rates (Al Namir et al., 2017). Overall it is argued that fathers can provide support in numerous ways including financially, emotionally, assistance and motivation, which all lead to the promotion and encouragement of breastfeeding in mothers (Mgolozeli et al., 2018). However, whilst there are vast amounts of research into the benefits of partner support in providing a positive breastfeeding experience to the mothers, there is a lack of investigation into single mothers and how lacking said partner support influences their experience. Despite there being a negative association between having no partner and breastfeeding, it has been found that with high levels of social support from other people there was no impact on breastfeeding duration in comparison to mothers with partners present (Edelblute & Altman, 2021). As such more research needs to be conducted exploring the potential struggles that single mothers face in regards to lack of partner support and how this influences their breastfeeding experience. Aims: - To explore the potential struggles that single mothers face regarding lacking partner support and how this influences their breastfeeding experience - To gain insight into other forms of social support that single mothers receive, and understand how this impacts their overall breastfeeding experience and to uncover - To uncover new forms of support that could be provided to single mothers to improve their breastfeeding experience

Community support services for breastfeeding parents Previous research has found that social support from community services is key for the initiation of breastfeeding and is essential for providing emotional, informational, and practical support to breastfeeding parents (Chowdhury et al., 2015; Ingram et al., 2004). Community services have been found to provide social support that is sensitive to cultural and individual needs and support individuals that do not feel properly supported by healthcare professionals, partners, and family members (Pyles et al., 2021). Peer support from community services like baby cafes allow parents to receive practical breastfeeding support from fellow parents and breastfeeding professionals as well as practice breastfeeding in public, which in turn increases breastfeeding confidence (Fox et al., 2015). However, there is awareness of the need to expand inclusivity of baby café services to allow more parents to benefit. Early years services such as children’s centres and Sure Start programs are also fundamental to breastfeeding parents, providing emotional support as well as a safe environment for children to play and do activities together. This has been found to give parents essential respite from daily stresses and childcare responsibilities, helping to boost child and parental wellbeing (Action for children, 2021). Essential community support services have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 and cost-of-living crisis during recent years. Access to breastfeeding support was negatively impacted due to lockdown restrictions, with many peer support groups moving online and community services facing closures. Parents found that online community support could not give the same level of practical support that face-to-face support services provided

A December 2023 study looked at the Britons' main responses to tackle the rising cost of living when planning a holiday. While 62 percent of the survey sample reported intending to travel outside peak periods, 44 percent of respondents mentioned reducing the number of nights spent on vacation.

In 2018-19 the GLA first undertook a Survey of Londoners. At the time it provided vital evidence on Londoners that had never been collected before in such detail. In 2021-22, the GLA conducted another Survey of Londoners, following the same methodology as the Survey of Londoners 2018-19, an online and paper self-completion survey of adults aged 16 and over in London. The survey, which received responses from 8,630 Londoners, aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 and associated restrictions on key social outcomes for Londoners, not available from other data sources. It is important to understand the context in which the Survey of Londoners 2021-22 took place. Survey fieldwork began in November 2021; so, up to that point, it had been four months since most legal limits on social contact had been removed. However, after fieldwork had started, some restrictions due to the emergence of the Omicron variant were introduced. This may or may not have had some effect on the data. Given these changing circumstances, caution should be applied when interpreting the results. The Survey of Londoners 2021-22 also took place just before the full effects of the cost-of-living crisis began to set in. It is highly likely that the situations of Londoners have changed while analysis was taking place. On this page there is a headline findings report, published on 30 September 2022, which provides descriptive results for the key headline measures and supporting demographic data collected by the survey. Accompanying this report are more detailed tables documenting the key results of the survey by a range of demographic and other characteristics, a short summary document presenting key findings from the survey, and a technical report for those interested in the survey’s methodology. Further to these, a series of pen portraits, providing snapshots of particular groups of Londoners, as captured at the time of the Survey of Londoners 2021-22, were first added on 31 October 2022. Also on this page, there is an initial findings report, that was published on 2 September 2022. This was published to provide timely evidence from the survey to support the case for further targeted support to help low-income Londoners with the cost-of-living crisis. We have launched an online explorer where users can interrogate the data collected from the two surveys, conducted in 2018-19 and 2021-22. This is the first iteration, so we welcome any feedback on it - GO TO THE EXPLORER The record-level Survey of Londoners dataset can be accessed via the UK Data Service, University of Essex. The dataset is available for not-for-profit educational and research purposes only. Finally, as the North East London (NEL) NHS funded a 'boost' in their sub-region to enable a more detailed analysis to be conducted within, they produced an analytical report in September 2022. This is also available for download from this page.

A weak spending environment amid economic headwinds casts a shadow over industry performance. Squeezed budgets amid the cost-of-living crisis were a double-edged sword for takeaways and fast-food restaurants over the two years through 2023-24: some consumers cut back on takeaways, while others traded down from full-service restaurants to takeaways and fast food. Inflationary pressures resulted in hikes in labour, energy and sourcing costs, straining profitability. Those with higher disposable incomes have been less impacted, demanding higher quality and healthier options, typically with a higher price tag. Subsiding inflation and growing consumer confidence support spending in 2024-25, though economic uncertainty persists and limits growth. Revenue is projected to drop at a compound annual growth rate of 0.8% over the five years through 2024-25, reflecting ongoing challenges. However, forecast growth of 2.1% in 2024-25 suggests a rebound in the industry as cost-of-living pressures subside. The surge of online food ordering has fuelled revenue growth. While online sales peaked during the pandemic, consumers drawn to convenience have become accustomed to ordering takeaways and fast food online. The development of state-of-the-art online platforms and third-party online ordering platforms like Deliveroo and Uber Eats are becoming the bread and butter for takeaway and fast-food outlets, encouraging new players into the industry. Britons' growing health and sustainability consciousness presents an opportunity for takeaway and fast-food businesses to introduce more expensive organic and meat-free menu items to boost revenue and profit. Britons’ tastes for healthy and sustainable takeaway options will continue to climb. Stricter legislation regarding the adverse effects of consuming junk food will promote product development innovation and healthy fast-food alternatives, driving additional revenue streams. As workers return to the office more permanently, demand for takeaway lunch options will swell. Fast food chains will pump money into aggressive expansion plans to secure market share and streamline costs. Investment in marketing will likely swell as operators turn to social media and online advertising to attract younger consumers and secure long-term revenues. Spending on innovation will persist as major players leverage AI and technology advancements to differentiate themselves from competitors and further demand. Revenue is forecast to climb at a compound annual rate of 2.9% to £26.6 billion over the years through 2029-30.

A global study among three key markets found that U.S. consumers were the most likely to have canceled an online news subscription in the last year, with almost a third saying they did so. However, the majority of consumers in all three countries in the study continued with the ir subscriptions. In the United Kingdom, as many as of half the surveyed subscribers in kept their news subscriptions as they were instead of canceling, despite the ongoing cost of living crisis gripping the country. News subs in the UK: at what cost? At a time when consumers are making cutbacks, how essential is a news subscription to the UK consumer? Survey data showed that more than two thirds of British adults between the ages of 18 and 65 years cut their spending on non-essentials and paid more attention to deals and bargains to alleviate the effects of the cost of living crisis. Meanwhile, the prices of news subscriptions in the UK are on the rise. At the higher end, an annual subscription to The Financial Times now sets UK consumers back almost 370 British pounds. National publications such as Mail+ and The Independent also hover around the 100 GBP mark, and several subscriptions became more expensive between 2022 and 2023, notably New Statesmen which almost doubled in price year over year. Value for money – why pay for news? News subscriptions could be considered a luxury in an era where news is widely available for free. So why do consumers subscribe in the first place? Data shows that most consumers cite better quality content as the main reason for paying for news, and brand identification is also a factor. Less important to consumers are games, puzzles, and an easy-to-use website or app – highlighting the increasing importance of quality content for publications seeking to keep audiences engaged.

The UK inflation rate was 3.5 percent in April 2025, up from 2.6 percent in the previous month, and the fastest rate of inflation since February 2024. Between September 2022 and March 2023, the UK experienced seven months of double-digit inflation, which peaked at 11.1 percent in October 2022. Due to this long period of high inflation, UK consumer prices have increased by over 20 percent in the last three years. As of the most recent month, prices were rising fastest in the communications sector, at 6.1 percent, but were falling in both the furniture and transport sectors, at -0.3 percent and -0.6 percent respectively.
The Cost of Living Crisis High inflation is one of the main factors behind the ongoing Cost of Living Crisis in the UK, which, despite subsiding somewhat in 2024, is still impacting households going into 2025. In December 2024, for example, 56 percent of UK households reported their cost of living was increasing compared with the previous month, up from 45 percent in July, but far lower than at the height of the crisis in 2022. After global energy prices spiraled that year, the UK's energy price cap increased substantially. The cap, which limits what suppliers can charge consumers, reached 3,549 British pounds per year in October 2022, compared with 1,277 pounds a year earlier. Along with soaring food costs, high-energy bills have hit UK households hard, especially lower income ones that spend more of their earnings on housing costs. As a result of these factors, UK households experienced their biggest fall in living standards in decades in 2022/23. Global inflation crisis causes rapid surge in prices The UK's high inflation, and cost of living crisis in 2022 had its origins in the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the initial waves of the virus, global supply chains struggled to meet the renewed demand for goods and services. Food and energy prices, which were already high, increased further in 2022. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 brought an end to the era of cheap gas flowing to European markets from Russia. The war also disrupted global food markets, as both Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of cereal crops. As a result of these factors, inflation surged across Europe and in other parts of the world, but typically declined in 2023, and approached more usual levels by 2024.