Survey: Rising Cost of Living Forces 3 Million UK Households to Skip at Least One Meal a Day
A new survey by the UK consumer rights organization Which? reveals that due to rising living costs and declining confidence in economic development, approximately 3 million UK households have chosen to skip at least one meal a day in the past month to save money.
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Chen Yun-yu, London, 1st) According to a new survey by the UK consumer rights organization Which?, affected by the rising cost of living and declining confidence in economic development, approximately 3 million UK households chose to skip at least one meal a day in the past month to save on expenses.
The survey shows that from March to early April this year, the UK consumer confidence index was -62, second only to the low of -70 in 2022. At that time, a crisis of confidence in people's livelihoods and business operating costs emerged in the UK, influenced by the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and rising international energy and commodity prices.
According to Which?'s latest survey, about 71% of surveyed UK adults believe that the UK's economic outlook will worsen in the next 12 months, and as many as 85% of surveyed adult respondents are concerned that food prices will continue to rise.
Concerns about continuously rising prices have forced many people to cut spending and change living habits. Which? survey results show that about 67% of surveyed UK households have adjusted "at least one" consumption behavior or eating habit in the past month to save on food expenses.
Which? points out that the most common changes include people choosing to buy cheaper goods and being more inclined to purchase supermarket private labels advertised as "economical and affordable," or buying more during promotional periods to grab bargains.
However, what is more concerning is that approximately 1 in 10 UK households has started to skip at least one meal a day to keep costs down. Which? points out that this is equivalent to an average of 3 million UK households choosing to do so.
In addition to food, UK residents are also concerned that energy fuel prices may remain high. 69% of surveyed UK adults have adjusted their driving habits to save money, which consequently led to about 33% and 13% of surveyed UK adults reducing outings and visiting relatives and friends, respectively, in the past month.
The pressure of the cost of living is also reflected in other aspects, including about 7.7% of surveyed UK households having failed to pay utility bills and rent or loan/credit card bills on time in the past month.
Which? analyzes that the trend of overdue or late bill payments is worsening: at the end of last year, about 5.7% of UK households were in this situation, but during the past three months of this year, the average figure has risen to 7.5%.
A new wave of war broke out in the Middle East at the end of February this year, and international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has not yet been fully restored, leading to rising energy and raw material prices. Which? points out that UK consumer confidence, which was already struggling before February, has "sharply declined" in the past two months.
Which? conducts relevant surveys monthly, with the latest survey conducted in early April, sampling 2,077 UK adults, and the results were released on April 30. Which? also operates a product performance and price comparison website. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150501
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(Central News Agency reporter Chen Yun-yu, London, 1st) According to a new survey by the UK consumer rights organization Which?, affected by the rising cost of living and declining confidence in economic development, approximately 3 million UK households chose to skip at least one meal a day in the past month to save on expenses.
The survey shows that from March to early April this year, the UK consumer confidence index was -62, second only to the low of -70 in 2022. At that time, a crisis of confidence in people's livelihoods and business operating costs emerged in the UK, influenced by the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and rising international energy and commodity prices.
According to Which?'s latest survey, about 71% of surveyed UK adults believe that the UK's economic outlook will worsen in the next 12 months, and as many as 85% of surveyed adult respondents are concerned that food prices will continue to rise.
Concerns about continuously rising prices have forced many people to cut spending and change living habits. Which? survey results show that about 67% of surveyed UK households have adjusted "at least one" consumption behavior or eating habit in the past month to save on food expenses.
Which? points out that the most common changes include people choosing to buy cheaper goods and being more inclined to purchase supermarket private labels advertised as "economical and affordable," or buying more during promotional periods to grab bargains.
However, what is more concerning is that approximately 1 in 10 UK households has started to skip at least one meal a day to keep costs down. Which? points out that this is equivalent to an average of 3 million UK households choosing to do so.
In addition to food, UK residents are also concerned that energy fuel prices may remain high. 69% of surveyed UK adults have adjusted their driving habits to save money, which consequently led to about 33% and 13% of surveyed UK adults reducing outings and visiting relatives and friends, respectively, in the past month.
The pressure of the cost of living is also reflected in other aspects, including about 7.7% of surveyed UK households having failed to pay utility bills and rent or loan/credit card bills on time in the past month.
Which? analyzes that the trend of overdue or late bill payments is worsening: at the end of last year, about 5.7% of UK households were in this situation, but during the past three months of this year, the average figure has risen to 7.5%.
A new wave of war broke out in the Middle East at the end of February this year, and international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has not yet been fully restored, leading to rising energy and raw material prices. Which? points out that UK consumer confidence, which was already struggling before February, has "sharply declined" in the past two months.
Which? conducts relevant surveys monthly, with the latest survey conducted in early April, sampling 2,077 UK adults, and the results were released on April 30. Which? also operates a product performance and price comparison website. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150501
Stand with the facts, every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
Download CNA's "First-Hand News" APP for real-time updates.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.