One-third of Australian households experienced food insecurity over the past 12 months, with families raising children among the most severely affected, according to a new report released by Foodbank Australia on Monday, 26 October 2026. The findings mark a steady year-on-year deterioration and suggest the crisis is now cutting well into middle-income Australia.

Key Findings from the Report

The report found that 33 per cent of all Australian households experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months, up from 32.8 per cent in 2025 and 32.5 per cent in 2024. Among households with children, the situation was considerably worse — 45 per cent reported food insecurity, with 25 per cent classified as severely food insecure.

The report also found that 37 per cent of middle-income households and 53 per cent of low-income households went without adequate food at some point during the year. Of those who reported food insecurity, 85 per cent said they could not afford balanced meals, and 69 per cent said it was the first time they had experienced such hardship.

Renters and Working Families Bearing the Brunt

The data reveals a sharp divide along housing lines: over 50 per cent of renting households experienced food insecurity, compared to just 12 per cent of outright homeowners. This comes amid Australia's prolonged housing affordability crisis, where rising rents have steadily eroded disposable income for millions of households.

Foodbank Australia CEO Kylea Tink said the crisis had spread well beyond traditionally vulnerable communities. 'Foodbank research shows that hunger is no longer confined to the margins; it is impacting middle Australia. A wage used to be what kept food on the table, but for a growing number of working Australians their pay packet no longer stretches that far,' Tink said.

Parents Going Without to Feed Children

Tink further highlighted the toll on families with young children, citing accounts of parents skipping meals so their children could eat. 'People should not have to choose between putting a roof over their head or putting food on the table. We're hearing of parents going without just to make sure their children can eat. This is unacceptable, and we must do something about it,' she said.

Recommendations and the Road Ahead

The report issued a direct call to federal, state, and territory governments, urging them to establish a national breakfast programme at every school by 2030 and to increase investment in food relief organisations. Notably, this is the third consecutive year of recorded increases in food insecurity, suggesting structural rather than cyclical causes. The combination of persistent inflation, high rents, and stagnant real wages appears to be pushing households that were previously just managing over the edge. Whether governments respond with the systemic reform the report demands or with targeted relief measures remains to be seen.