Food bank parcels in the United Kingdom
Food bank parcels in the United Kingdom stood at 2,644,835 Parcels in 2025. It is one of the indicators in the Food bank parcels table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2015 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Food bank parcels table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total food parcels distributed | |||||||||||
| United Kingdom | 2,644,835 | 2,996,653 | 3,237,114 | 2,699,902 | 2,236,131 | 2,462,050 | 1,824,801 | 1,511,582 | 1,318,151 | 1,157,683 | |
| Great Britain | 2,576,984 | 2,914,753 | 3,146,025 | 2,623,491 | 2,162,961 | 2,396,929 | 1,782,412 | 1,476,545 | 1,285,044 | 1,124,086 |
Understanding food bank parcels in the United Kingdom
This national total records every emergency food parcel distributed across the United Kingdom through affiliated distribution centres during each financial year. It forms the benchmark headline figure for the entire table, covering England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. While subnational rows isolate counts for specific nations, regions, local authorities, or parliamentary constituencies, this aggregate combines all geographic areas into a single UK-wide figure. It includes aid provided to both adults and children, without separating recipients by age band. The tally is strictly limited to distributions within the operating network and excludes assistance provided by independent food aid organisations, local council welfare schemes, or other charitable distribution models.
Annual figures reflect the total volume of parcels issued rather than the unique number of individuals assisted, meaning a single person receiving multiple parcels throughout the financial year is counted each time. Because the figures are compiled annually on a financial-year basis, year-on-year comparisons provide the appropriate baseline for assessing shifts in emergency food distribution. Direct comparisons across lengthy historical runs should account for changes in network reach, as the opening of new distribution centres or the affiliation of previously independent hubs alters the underlying operating coverage. The data cannot serve as a complete measure of national food insecurity or poverty, given that it records only the operational throughput of one specific distribution network.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this figure represent the total number of people receiving emergency food support?
- No, it counts the total volume of parcels distributed rather than distinct individuals. A person or household receiving multiple parcels over the course of the financial year is counted on each distribution event.
- Are all food banks across the United Kingdom included in this total?
- No, this aggregate only captures parcel distributions handled by centres within this specific network. Emergency parcels provided by independent food charities, soup kitchens, and local government relief programmes are entirely excluded.
- How does this series relate to the subnational figures in the same table?
- This series serves as the overall national aggregate. All local authority, constituency, regional, and national breakdown rows in the table sum directly to this UK total.