The Lucky Country is now the Hungry Country with food insecurity firmly entrenched in Australia

The Lucky Country is now the Hungry Country with food insecurity firmly entrenched in Australia

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Canberra, Monday 26 October 2026: The Lucky Country has become The Hungry Country, Foodbank Australia has warned, with the Foodbank Hunger Report 2026 finding one in three households have experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months. This equates to 3.6 million households going hungry – 100,000 more than in 2025 – according to Foodbank Australia’s research.

The Foodbank Hunger Report 2026 shows food insecurity is now not only seemingly entrenched across Australia, but is also increasingly systemic, impacting middle income households.

“We call ourselves the Lucky Country, but for one in three households, Australia is now the Hungry Country,” said Foodbank Australia CEO, Kylea Tink.

“Sadly, hunger has become part of the Australian story. If one person from every food insecure household stood in a queue one metre apart, that line would stretch from Sydney to Perth. In a country like Australia, we should not accept this as our new normal,” Ms Tink said.

Concerningly, the Foodbank Hunger Report 2026 reveals that the profile of hunger in Australia is changing. The research shows 37% of middle-income households, earning between $33,800 – $90,999 per year, are food insecure with 23% of this cohort severely food insecure. Meanwhile, households with children are among the hardest hit (with 45% reporting they had experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months).

Overall, Australians are also pessimistic about the future, with more than a third (35%) expecting their finances to get worse over the next 12 months, rising to 61% among those already finding it very difficult to get by.

“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. These are our friends, colleagues and neighbours, and many never imagined they would need a helping hand to feed their families,” Ms Tink said. 

Among the report’s most alarming findings:

» Nearly seven in ten (69%) food-insecure households experienced food insecurity for the first time in the past year.

» Almost half of all households with children (45%) and of younger households aged 18 to 34 (48%) are food insecure – with 60% of single parent households reporting food insecurity.

» One in two renting households (51%) are food insecure, compared with 12% of households that own their home outright.

» More than half (53%) of all households earning $33,799 or less are food insecure, with more than a third (37%) being severely food insecure: the highest level ever recorded for this group.

» Food insecure households, with a part-time or casual worker, have reached a new historical high of 42%, showing a steady upward trend since 2024.

» Regional households are harder hit than those in the cities, with almost one in four (23%) reporting they experienced severe food insecurity, compared with 18% in metropolitan areas.

» More than half of First Nations households (57%) are food insecure, including

40% in the severe category.

“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,” Ms Tink said.

Foodbank Australia has welcomed the Federal Government’s $700,000 in surge funding, announced

on 11 October.

“We thank Minister Plibersek and the Federal Government. This surge funding means more food will

reach the people who need it most. Importantly, this funding will not add to inflation as it will help

Foodbank Australia redirect surplus food that has already been produced to households struggling to

put food on the table,” said Ms Tink.

Foodbank Australia is calling on the Federal Government to work alongside state and territory

governments to establish a national minimum standard for school breakfast programs, ensuring

every Australian child has access to a nutritious breakfast at school by 2030.

While many of the numbers were bleak, there were positive findings clearly supporting the value and

impact of School Breakfast Programs across the country.

The Foodbank Hunger Report 2026 shows school breakfast programs are reaching more children than

ever before and are working well in some parts of the country. Participation among food insecure

households with school-aged children in Foodbank’s school breakfast programs has risen from 36% to

45% in the last 12 months.

“One of the best ways to tackle Australia’s hunger problem is to look after our most vulnerable. A

national school breakfast program would mean one less meal for food insecure families to worry about,

and parents can be confident their children are starting every school day with a nutritious meal.

Importantly, we know this works with Foodbank breakfast programs across the country proving a

success. We need all governments to now work together to ensure no child starts a school day

hungry,” Ms Tink said.

Foodbank is also calling on corporate Australia and philanthropy to act.

“In a nation as prosperous as Australia, one in three households going hungry simply doesn’t pass the

pub test. The findings in this report demand more than concern from corporate Australia. One dollar

can put two meals on the table. Food relief organisations cannot solve this alone, we need government,

business, philanthropists and communities to step up to the plate. Together, we must invest in

immediate relief while addressing the structural causes of food insecurity,” Ms Tink said.

Now in its 14th year, the Foodbank Hunger Report 2026 is the nation’s most comprehensive snapshot

of food insecurity, based on a nationally representative survey of Australians. To read or download the full report go to https://reports.foodbank.org.au/foodbank-hunger-report-2026/ 

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