More than a quarter of Spaniards (26%) admit that they skip meals to save, a percentage that almost doubles in households with an income of less than 15,000 euros, among which 41% of families say they do not eat some meals so as not to spend money.
These are data from the latest edition of the Kellogg’s Report on food poverty in Spain that was presented this Tuesday in Madrid. The study was carried out between January and February 2023 with the aim of discovering the causes of child hunger and gathering information to alleviate the negative effects of food poverty through initiatives such as the ‘Todos a Desayunar’ breakfast program in schools and the Collaboration with Food Banks.
According to the study, 61% of Spaniards said that recent socioeconomic events are complicating their financial situation and those most affected are families with incomes of less than 15,000 euros, since more than a third (36%) have cut their expenses in essential goods and services. In addition, a third of Spaniards claimed to be concerned about the money they have for food, while in 2016 this figure was only 19%.
During the presentation of the report, at the Felipe II public school in Madrid, Gabriela Jorquera, deputy director of the High Commissioner against Child Poverty, related these data to the effects of the crisis caused by the pandemic and the social policies implemented “thanks to the shield and the measures put in place, we are alleviating the increase in poverty”.
For his part, Rafael Herráiz, General Director of International Cooperation NGO, said that “third sector organizations play a fundamental role in facilitating the implementation of initiatives that involve public administrations, companies, foundations and civil society with the common objective of reducing poverty in our country”.
According to the testimony of teachers, the number of children who come to school hungry has increased in recent years. In Spain, two out of three teachers (66%) believe that parents have problems with the food budget. Among the reasons that lead them to think this are the economic situation, the increase in food prices and the difficulty of finding stable jobs.
As a consequence, hunger affects children’s performance. Tiredness, difficulty concentrating, children’s low mood and even disruptive behavior in class are, according to Spanish teachers, the consequences of children coming to class hungry. And they themselves take charge of the situation by talking to parents and offering food to children in greatest need.
Despite the fact that Spaniards give importance to breakfast, the number of people who do not eat breakfast every morning has almost doubled in Spain, going from 4% in 2016 to 7% in 2023. Although most of them say they do not eat breakfast because they do not have hunger or time, 5% say they do not eat breakfast so that other family members can do it and 3% say they cannot afford it. In the case of households with incomes of less than 15,000 euros, this percentage reaches 14% and 5% respectively.
