Food insecurity in Australia is hitting a crisis point — 1 in 6 Australians report having experienced food insecurity at least once in the last 12 months. — Over half of these people say they have experienced food insecurity between 1-3 times but for over a quarter of them it is a regular occurrence. — Over 644,000 people now receive food relief each month, 33% of whom are children.
Charities cannot cope and are turning people away empty handed — Around half of the people who report experiencing food insecurity have sought food assistance from a charity or community group. — 2015 saw an 8% increase in the number of people seeking food relief. — Over 43,000 people seeking food relief each month are unable to be assisted by charities and community groups, 32% of whom are children. It is not who you think — The face of hunger is diverse – male, female, both young and old, single and in families, students, employed and unemployed as well as retired people. — Generation Y is almost twice as likely to experience food insecurity than the average (31% vs 18%). It’s not taking much to tip some people into food insecurity — The most common reasons why people experience food insecurity are not enough money in the first place, unexpected expenses and large bills or just paying for the roof over their heads. — The most likely things people do in order to have enough money for food for themselves and their families are to borrow money from family and friends, not pay bills or rack up debts on a credit card.
