One-quarter of households face moderate to severe food insecurity: BBS survey

A quarter of households in Bangladesh face moderate to severe food insecurity, according to a Report by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) published today (3 November). Only about one-third of all households are food secure, with nearly half being marginally secure. 

The report, based on the Food Security Assessment and FIES (Family Income and Expenditure) Survey 2023 by BBS, provides an in-depth analysis of food insecurity across Bangladesh.

The report says the Northern divisions – Rangpur, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, and Sylhet – report the highest levels of food insecurity, reflecting deep-rooted poverty and vulnerability to climate shocks like flooding.

Dhaka and Chattogram divisions show relatively better outcomes, although inequality remains a concern within these areas. Overall urban-rural differences are modest, but city corporation areas perform better than the national average.

According to the survey results, only one-third (32.9%) of households nationwide are fully food secure. Meanwhile, 44.57% of households are marginally food secure, meaning they could face food shortages if hit by minor economic or environmental shocks. Most concerningly, 22.5% of households suffer from moderate to severe food insecurity, highlighting the vulnerability of a large segment of the population.

Households forced to spend a larger share of their income on food are the most vulnerable, underscoring the need for income growth and poverty reduction. Even households just above the poverty line show considerable food insecurity, requiring special, targeted interventions.

BBS said, many households frequently resorted to negative coping mechanisms due to persistent vulnerabilities. Such mechanisms included, in worst case scenarios, theft, prostitution and begging, which a small percentage (0.5% -1.1%) of households adopted. Others married their children off at an early age, Withdrew children from school or sold household assets.

Overall 38.3% of the surveyed households allocate less than 50% of their expenditure to food, while about another 34.5% allocate 50-65% and 17.0% allocate 65-75%. However, households allocating 75% or more constitute 10.2% of the total sample.

About one-third of households in rural areas and a quarter in urban areas allocate at least 65% of their expenditure to food, indicating a significant portion of income dedicated to meeting basic nutritional needs. 

Conversely, in city corporations, the corresponding percentage is 6.5% only, reflecting a slighter vulnerability in food expenditure.