In 2022/23 there were 1,646 food bank distribution centers run by the the UK's main foodbank distributor, the Trussell Trust, compared with 1,588 in the previous year. In 2022/23 2.99 million people used a foodbank in the UK, compared with 2.19 million in 2021/22.
Latest data on national food insecurity levels from The Food Foundation's Food Insecurity Tracker show 9.3 million adults (17.7% of households) experienced food insecurity in January 2023, with one in four households with children (four million children) experiencing food insecurity in same month.
Schools, churches, businesses and individuals donate non-perishable, in-date food to a foodbank. There are also donation points at supermarkets.
Nationwide there are more food banks than there are branches of McDonalds with London having the highest level of food poverty in the country.
A fifth of UK households are struggling to get access to good quality food at reasonable prices, a report by MPs says, causing them to turn to unhealthy, high-calorie alternatives. This, the report added, is likely to contribute to making 40% of the population obese by 2025.
The UK's food poverty rate is among the highest in Europe. Despite being the sixth richest country in the world, millions are struggling to access the food they need. According to the latest government statistics, 4.2 million people (6 per cent) were living in food poverty in 2020 to 2021.
