- 18 % of Scots were unable to buy essential food items in the past two weeks
- One in eight people in Scotland reported buying less food due to shortages
- Percentage of Scottish households buying less food has doubled in the last fortnight
One in five Scots were unable to purchase essential food items in the past two weeks, new research has revealed.
18 percent of people in Scotland could not buy essential food items – the third-highest percentage of people in the UK who were unable to access essential food. The study also found that almost a quarter of Scots were unable to purchase non-essential food items.
The research, conducted by delivery management experts Urbantz, used new ONS data on goods shortages to analyze the percentage of people in Scotland who were unable to access essential food between the 22nd of September and the 3rd of October.
The study found that 12 per cent of people in Scotland bought less food than usual between 22nd of September and 3rd of October as a result of shortages – double the percentage of Scots who purchased less food in the previous fortnight.
One in four Scottish residents reported that when they went food shopping, items that they needed were not available and they could not find a replacement, while half said that there was less variety of food in the shops than usual.
On a UK-wide level, one in six people struggled to buy essential food items in the last fortnight, and 15 percent of people couldn’t buy fuel. The North East, Yorkshire and the Humber and the East of England were the areas worst hit by food shortages, with 21 percent of people in those regions unable to buy essential food.
When it came to fuel shortages, the South East and the East of England were the regions that struggled most. In the South East, 22 percent of people were unable to access fuel – 57 percent higher than the national average.
A spokesperson for Urbantz, which conducted the data, said: “With the country facing significant delivery of food and other essentials, it’s vital to look at the experiences of families in the UK, and what they have dealt with in the past two weeks when trying to shop for food, medicine, and fuel.
“The impact of the driver shortage is felt across the entire supply chain, all the way through to the last mile – where consumers are faced with fewer choices at checkout and longer delays on their deliveries due to retailers’ struggles to keep their warehouses stocked”.
Food shortages by region
| Region | % who couldn’t buy essential food in last fortnight |
| Scotland | 18% |
| North West | 14% |
| North East | 21% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 21% |
| East Midlands | 21% |
| West Midlands | 12% |
| East of England | 19% |
| London | 19% |
| South East | 17% |
| Wales | 14% |
| South West | 18% |
Fuel shortages by region
| Region | % who couldn’t buy fuel in last fortnight |
| Scotland | 6% |
| North West | 14% |
| North East | 9% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 14% |
| East Midlands | 14% |
| West Midlands | 13% |
| East of England | 23% |
| London | 16% |
| South East | 22% |
| South West | 19% |
| Wales | 14% |
All data gathered from the ONS.
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