One in twenty households ran out of food and could not afford more in the past.

Britain’s cost of living crisis is forcing more people to delve into their savings to make ends meet, according to official data indicating that renters are most at risk of financial insecurity.

Three out of ten individuals surveyed by the Office of National Statistics were using their savings due to the rising cost of living, up from a quarter of adults in late April.

With inflation stuck at 8.7% and food and drink prices continuing to rise at among the fastest annual rates since the late 1970s, soaring prices for food, energy, and other fundamental necessities are exerting persistent pressure on millions of British households.

One in twenty households had run out of food and could not afford more, highlighting the intense pressure on families.

Nearly half of adults reported spending more than usual to purchase the same amount of food or purchasing less food. Separate Kantar research indicates that households purchase more frequently and purchase cheaper store brands.

The Bank of England has raised interest rates thirteen times, driving up mortgage and rental costs as landlords pass along their higher borrowing costs.

According to the ONS report on the effects of the cost of living crisis, renters had nearly five times the likelihood of experiencing financial insecurity compared to homeowners. Young adults and those with disabilities, as well as single parents and those from black and ethnic backgrounds, were more likely to be affected.

Approximately half of Asian or Asian British adults and 47% of black, African, Caribbean, or British adults could not afford rent or mortgage payments.

The ONS reported that adults aged 25 to 34 were more than three times as likely to experience vulnerability as those aged 75 and older, highlighting the impact of rising rental costs and mortgage payments on younger adults who struggled to climb the housing ladder in recent years.

David Ainslie from the Office for National Statistics stated, “Today’s analysis contributes to our efforts to identify inequalities in society and how certain groups have been disproportionately affected by the rise in the cost of living.”

Based on surveys of nearly 15,000 adults in the United Kingdom, 92% of respondents believed that living expenses were the country’s most pressing issue. The National Health Service ranked second with 88%, followed by the economy (79%), climate change and the environment, and housing (62%).

Immigration, Brexit, and labour disputes were ranked as less significant. A third of respondents who attempted to contact a GP practice to schedule an appointment in the preceding month encountered difficulty, according to the ONS. Less than half of the respondents indicated that it was simple.