Almost half students experiencing food insecurity

Almost half of university students are experiencing food insecurity, with those living away from the family home and struggling financially at greatest risk, according to new research.

The study, led by Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland researchers, is the first to quantify food insecurity among university students in New Zealand. It found that 45 percent of surveyed students were food insecure – meaning they lacked reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious and appropriate food. See Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

“The study is timely, because we are seeing in the media that students are having a tough time with the cost-of-living crisis,” says lead researcher Dr Berit Follong, a research fellow in population health in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.

The findings from the University of Auckland student population are in line with similar recent studies in the United States and Australia.

Food insecurity was significantly more common among students living away from home, compared with those living at home with parents or family.

Students who described their finances as ‘borderline’ or ‘not secure at all’ were also far more likely to struggle to meet their basic food needs.

“Many students are juggling high living costs, limited income and study demands. For some , food is where they make compromises,” says Dr Follong.

Cost and time are major barriers
The research surveyed 347 University of Auckland students using an internationally validated food security questionnaire.

Most food-insecure students (80 percent) said the cost of food was a frequent barrier to eating well, while lack of time to shop for and prepare food was also a major challenge.

To cope, students commonly reported buying the cheapest available food, saving food for later or reducing meal size. Use of food banks and other food relief services was relatively low.

Previous international research has linked food insecurity among students to lower grades and poorer mental health and well-being.

Students living away from home were around three times more likely than students living at home to be struggling to get enough nutritious and safe food.

Of students who reported they were eating well, just over three-quarters (76 percent) were living at home.

“Living in the parental environment acts as a kind of safety net, likely for financial reasons but also because food is simply more available compared with living away from home,” says Dr Follong.

While many students expressed interest in practical support – such as advice on cooking low-cost healthy meals and budgeting living expenses – awareness of existing university food relief and support initiatives was low.

Only around one in four students said they were aware of food-related support available through the University, and just half of those had used it.

“This suggests there is an opportunity to improve how support is communicated and to design solutions that better reflect students’ realities,” says co-researcher Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu, Professor of Population Nutrition in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.

The researchers call for non stigmatising approaches that address both financial pressures and the practical barriers students face.

“There is a critical need for support to address student food insecurity, in particular for those who move away from home to attend university,” Professor Ni Mhurchu says.

“Our findings highlight the need for multi-level solutions – from better information and education, through to financial policies that recognise students’ cost-of-living pressures,” she says.

The study was conducted in 2024 and involved students across all faculties and years of study. The authors note that further research across other New Zealand universities is needed to understand the national picture.