1 in 3 households can’t afford enough food 

No one should have to worry about where their next meal will come from, yet the Foodbank Hunger Report reveals that’s the reality for far too many Victorians right now. 

Every day, we are seeing the impact of rising living costs. The new Foodbank Hunger Report confirms the scale of the crisis, revealing that 1 in 3 Victorian households experienced food insecurity in the last 12 months. That’s more than 900,000 Victorian households struggling to put food on the table. 

Among them are over 633,000 children living in homes where families are going without enough food.  

Released 26 October, the Foodbank Hunger Report 2026 paints a confronting picture of the growing need for food relief across our state. The report reveals hunger is no longer confined to the margins. Hunger is now a mainstream issue impacting young Victorians, regional households, renters, mortgage holders and working families.   

“This confirms what we see every day at Foodbank. Hunger is an everyday emergency for a third of all Victorian households that are struggling to make their finances stretch to cover mealtimes. It’s in almost every postcode, every community,” said Dave McNamara, CEO of Foodbank Victoria. 

Among the report’s most alarming findings: 

  • 1 in 5 Victorian households are now severely food insecure, skipping meals, eating less than they need or going days without food. That equates to an additional 88,000 households since last year. 
  • Regional households are hardest hit, with 1 in 4 experiencing severe food insecurity, compared with 20% last year. 
  • An estimated 633,000 Victorian children are in households that are food insecure, including 367,000 children who are in households that are severely food insecure. 
  • Almost half of younger households aged 18 to 34 are food insecure, and almost 1 in 3 are severely food insecure. 
  • 1 in 2 of renters couldn’t afford enough food, and 39% of renters were severely food insecure, up 12 percentage points in 12 months. 

At Foodbank Victoria, we’re facing our own crisis with a growing gap between supply and demand. As the provider of 70% of the state’s food relief, we have seen donations of essential pantry staples decline by 11% this year and 23.5% over the past two years. To keep food flowing to the 76,000 Victorians who rely on us each day, we will need to spend $8.6 million to fill the gap in food donations.

“Food is a basic necessity for our community to thrive. Yet hunger is at the kitchen tables of too many Victorian families, who are being forced to choose between rent and food or fuel and groceries. Parents are going without so their children can eat,” said Dave McNamara. 

“Hunger is not something we can simply accept. These findings should be a rallying cry and call to action for governments and communities across the country.” 

Now in its 14th year, the Foodbank Hunger Report 2026 is Australia’s most comprehensive annual snapshot of food insecurity. The Victorian spotlight combines national data with Foodbank Victoria’s distribution insights to highlight the urgent need for action in our state. 

With your incredible support, we can make a real difference for people experiencing food insecurity across Victoria. If you’re able to help, your donation will put healthy, nutritious food on the tables of those who are doing it tough right now. 

Donate today