Worry about affordable access to food is on the rise in the UK. Three quarters of people in the UK (75%) have worried about the cost of food in the last year, or know someone who has, according to a new poll commissioned by Amnesty International UK.

Among those who have worried, or know someone who has, more than eight in ten (81%) say they are now more worried than before. Meanwhile, 85% of people across the country say it is unacceptable that some people cannot afford to feed themselves.

Ahead of the first Labour Party Conference under a Burnham government, Amnesty is calling on the Prime Minister to introduce a Right to Food Bill to ensure everyone can afford and access the food they need. More than 14 million people are living in food poverty in the UK.

With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to put pressure on people’s pockets, the poll, carried out by *Savanta, also found that:

Jen Clark, Amnesty International UK’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Lead, said:

“The polling shows that up and down the country people are worried about being able to afford the food they and their families need, and many fear the next generation will face an even greater struggle.

“This is the harsh reality facing millions of people. It is unacceptable in any country, let alone one as wealthy as the UK. No one should be forced to go hungry.

“Having the food you need is a basic human right and it must be guaranteed in law. The fact that more than eight in ten people say there should be a legal right to food shows the strength of public concern about this issue.”

Separate from the polling, as part of the Right to Food UK Commission, Amnesty spoke to people across the UK about their experiences of food poverty.

Rossana** in London told Amnesty:

“My husband works but we still have to use a food club twice a week. I have used food banks in the past, but we could only go a few times…. Everything is going up: rent, food, bills. I have to stock up at shops as food from the food club only lasts a day. I get things like fruit, bread and milk. Vegetables in the shop are expensive…. When politicians talk about affordable food, affordable rent, affordable bills, it feels like they are talking about affordable for the middle class, not the lower class as it is not affordable.”

Shen** in Manchester told Amnesty: 

“There are so many things I can’t afford because everything is so expensive. We skip meals; I eat one meal a day. My son is at school, so he gets two meals a day with school lunch, but on weekends and in the holidays, he only has one …. I try to go to the shops in the evening when food has been reduced …. Sometimes I go to the food larder that offers bags of food for £3 or £5 …. sometimes they have vegetables and things like that that I can cook, I cook from scratch …. but sometimes the food is not good [and only] from tins…. There’re so many things I can’t afford that would be good for me: meat, fish, or fruit …. But it’s really expensive when I go shopping, I often wonder ‘how am I going to cope the next day?’”

*Savanta interviewed 2,280 UK adults aged 16+ between 4 and 8 September 2026. Data was weighted to be representative of all UK adults aged 16+ by age, gender and region. Savanta is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

**Name changed to protect identity