cost of living
Published 20 Apr 2023
3 min read
Over half of people in the UK are buying less food due to the cost-of-living crisis
With food prices rising by 19% in March compared to the same time last year, 51% of adults are buying less in the supermarket in a bid to keep their grocery bill down.
Written by: Rebecca Routledge
Senior Content Manager
Published: 20 April 2023
A survey from the Office for National Statistics also found 53% are opting for cheaper items, 26% are buying more long-life or tinned foods and 21% are eating products past their use-by date.
Worryingly, 16% of adults (one in six) are now classed as food insecure. That means they can’t afford enough food to lead a healthy life. Of those questioned, 14% said they were cutting down on portion sizes or skipping means altogether. And 17% reported feeling worried that their food would run out before they could afford to buy more.
How much have the basics gone up in price?
This is how much some of your supermarket essentials have risen in price since March 2022:
Food item |
Price increase |
| Olive oil | 49% |
| Sugar | 42% |
| Milk | 38% |
| Sauces and spices | 34% |
| Cheese | 34% |
| Eggs | 32% |
| Frozen veg | 30% |
| Pork | 25% |
| Pasta | 24% |
| Flour | 23% |
| Butter | 22% |
| Yoghurt | 22% |
| Jam, marmalade and honey | 21% |
| Ready meals | 21% |
| Fresh veg | 21% |
| Potatoes | 20% |
| Bread and cereals | 19% |
| Fresh fish | 19% |
| Tea | 19% |
| Poultry | 18% |
| Crisps | 18% |
| Pizza and quiche | 17% |
| Margarine | 16% |
| Coffee | 16% |
| Beef | 15% |
| Chocolate | 15% |
| Fruit juice | 12% |
| Beer | 8% |
| Rolling tobacco | 7% |
| Lamb | 6% |
| Wine | 5% |
| Cigarettes | 4% |
If you’re worried about rising prices, we’ve put together some tips on how to cut the cost of your supermarket shop. And if the cost-of-living crisis means your income no longer covers your outgoings, get in touch to find out what help’s available. We’ve helped more than 1.5 million people in all sorts of situations and we might be able to help you.
Written by: Rebecca Routledge
Senior Content Manager
A qualified journalist for over 15 years with a background in financial services. Rebecca is Money Wellness’s consumer champion, helping you improve your financial wellbeing by providing information on everything from income maximisation to budgeting and saving tips.
Published: 20 April 2023
The information in this post was correct at the time of publishing. Please check when it was written, as information can go out of date over time.
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Written by: Rebecca Routledge
Senior Content Manager
Published: 20 April 2023
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