Current status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 February 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people in Scotland have been food insecure in each of the last 14 years.
In Scotland, food insecurity questions were introduced into the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) from 2016. As of 2019, food security levels are measured for the whole of the UK, including Scotland, as part of the Family Resources Survey (FRS).
Despite differences in approach between the surveys, food insecurity levels in Scotland have been consistent since data collection started in 2016; around 8% or 9% of individuals, and 8% of households.
Food Insecurity Rates in Scotland:
2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
Scottish Health Survey | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
Family Resources Survey | n/a | n/a | 8 | |
1. Data for FRS collected April 2019-March 2020
2. SHeS data from 2020 not directly comparable to previous years due to COVID-19 restrictions