The cost of a healthy food basket in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Families on low-income need to spend more than half of weekly income to afford a healthy food basket.
Latest food basket research for Northern Ireland highlights challenges facing families on low-income to shop for a healthy balanced diet.
30 September 2025: The latest food basket report for Northern Ireland¹ from Safefood and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has revealed how some families spend up to £212 per week, more than half (51%) of their take-home income, on food, with families with teenage children paying an extra £64 per week on food than those with younger children.
The 2024 Food Basket research provides essential evidence required to develop effective, targeted policies that address food insecurity and promote health equality for those most at risk.
-Sharon Gilmore, Head of Standards and Dietary Health, FSANI
Recent data² by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed that food inflation was 5.1% in the 12 months to August this year, the fifth month in a row the rate has climbed. In Northern Ireland, the latest Consumer Council quarterly Household Expenditure Tracker revealed food shopping³ now accounts for the biggest proportion of households basic spending.
Head of Standards and Dietary Health for the FSA in Northern Ireland, Sharon Gilmore said “Low-income households often struggle to eat well due to limited budgets, potentially contributing to health inequalities. The 2024 Food Basket research provides essential evidence required to develop effective, targeted policies that address food insecurity and promote health equality for those most at risk.”
Typically, households on a low-income tend to eat less well, which can contribute to higher levels of excess weight and corresponding health complications like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
Many families are being forced to choose cheaper and often nutritionally poor food items to keep food spending within their means and this is a really worrying trend.
- Aileen McGloin, Director of Nutrition, Safefood
Dr Aileen McGloin, Director of Nutrition with Safefood said: “For households with children food shopping is often the only flexible part of their spend. Many families are being forced to choose cheaper and often nutritionally poor food items to keep food spending within their means and this is a really worrying trend. What this research shows is the challenge for low-income households of trying to balance the cost of a heathy food basket against the cost of meeting other needs and expenses.”
Philippa McKeown-Brown, Head of Food Policy and Emerging Markets at the Consumer Council said “The Consumer Council are proud to be a project partner in this important study, which yet again highlights the huge proportion of income certain household types would need to spend to afford a diet that is healthy, and allows for variety and social interaction. In other words, a diet that every individual living in Northern Ireland should be able to access as a minimum, regardless of income, family and living circumstances. The latest findings correspond with what we’re seeing in our quarterly Northern Ireland Household Expenditure Tracker, which shows food is the biggest area of spend for low-income households, and has been for nine consecutive quarters. It also chimes with our Cost of Basics research which found over a quarter (27%) of consumers report eating poorer quality or less nutritious food because of higher food costs”.
The contents of the food baskets in the survey were based on menus put together by the households themselves. People selected an acceptable food basket in terms of taste and menu choices, while also meeting the social needs of a household, for example hosting visitors or special occasions like birthdays. The food baskets were then reviewed by nutritionists to ensure they met the nutritional guidelines and price-checked accordingly.
Download the report: What is the cost of a healthy food basket in Northern Ireland in 2024?
Ends
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
ASG
Naomi Finnegan ASG & Partners
Mobile: +44 7467 547 492
Email: [email protected]
Or
Safefood
Dermot Moriarty /Hayley Linehan
Mob: +353 (0) 86 381 1034 (Dermot) +353 (0) 87 406 9110 (Hayley)
Email: [email protected]
References
¹ “What is the cost of a healthy food basket in Northern Ireland in 2024?” Safefood 2025
² Consumer price inflation, UK - Office for National Statistics
Editor’s notes
The food basket research looked at 4 household types in Northern Ireland which were:
- Two parent & three children (pre-school, primary and secondary school age)
- Two parent & two children (pre-school & primary school age))
- One parent & two children (pre-school & primary school age)
- Pensioner living alone
