AUSTRALIA’S cost-of-living crisis has reached a deeply confronting new low, with a major new report from The Salvation Army revealing thousands of vulnerable Australians are now skipping meals, eating spoiled food and, in some cases, searching through bins simply to survive.
The findings, released as part of the Salvos’ 2026 Red Shield Appeal, paint a bleak picture of financial distress across the country, exposing what the organisation describes as an escalating emergency for Australia’s poorest households.
The report surveyed 4400 Australians seeking emergency relief support through the Salvos and found an overwhelming 91 per cent had skipped meals in the past year due to financial hardship. Alarmingly, almost one-third said this occurred daily.
Even more shocking, 19 per cent admitted they had eaten food from bins, while 60 per cent said they had consumed expired or spoiled food because they could not afford fresh groceries.
The report highlights a growing crisis in food insecurity, with more than one-third of respondents surviving on only one meal a day and 67 per cent watering down food or drinks to make them last longer.
“It is deeply confronting to see so many people across our community pushed to such desperate levels of hardship,” Salvation Army spokesperson Major Bruce Harmer said. “No one in Australia should be forced to choose between heating their home, feeding their children or buying medication.”
