Filling the fridge implies more economic effort than paying for housing

BarcelonaHousing and inflation are the two main concerns of the Catalan and Spanish citizenry. This is confirmed by the latest Eurobarometer from the European Parliament, where at least one in three respondents in Spain identifies access to a home and the rising cost of living as the biggest headaches they have to face in their daily lives. The rising cost of rent and food is changing consumption habits and requires great effort from families – especially the most vulnerable – to adapt to the new reality. A reality that takes time away from leisure and where any unforeseen event can disrupt a budget with less and less room for maneuver. And among the juggling acts of some families to balance their accounts, the following diagnosis emerges: filling the fridge means more economic effort than paying for housing.

It is one of the conclusions that can be drawn from the Observatory of the Metropolitan Food System, prepared by the public administration of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) and presented this June. According to the study, food is the item that has gained the most weight within the budget allocated to cover the basic needs of families in the AMB in recent years. In 2016, filling the pantry represented 17.7% of the basic expenses of each household, while in 2024 – the last year with available data – the percentage rose to 22.6% (see graph). This increase of almost five points is higher than the share gained by housing: although expenses have also increased, the weight of housing within the budget to cover basic needs has risen by just over two points, from 33.1% to 35.5%.

The rest of the items remain more or less stable, with the exception of transport and leisure. Inflation has caused families to spend less and less on entertainment – spending has gone from representing 8.1% to 6.9% – and on travel, whether by private vehicle or public transport. In the latter case, the budget has gone from 7.7% of the total to 1.9%.

The diagnosis from the AMB is clear, and it has to do with the generalized increase in food prices. "The globalized agri-food system is in a moment of pressure," points out the director of Metropolitan Policy Analysis Services of the AMB, José Luis Haro, who points to several factors to explain the evolution of the figures. The growth of the world population and its urbanization, the effects of climate change, and the growing difficulties in having water and land to cultivate are some of them, aggravated in recent years by international conflicts. The so-called Arab Spring of 2010 launched a first warning with an increase in the price of cereals, and now the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz are aggravating the situation.

Haro also adds another reason, linked to the complexity of food chains. In a system with more intermediaries and more activity in the distribution sector, products are more sensitive to rising fuel prices, which end up affecting the final amount for the consumer.

Change of habits

Families' adaptation to new realities has also translated into a change in eating habits, as indicated in the observatory. In situations marked by a sharp increase in prices, households with fewer resources tend to cover their nutritional needs with cheaper alternative products or directly modify their diet. On this point, the report reveals some relevant data. On the one hand, the percentage of people within the metropolitan area who cannot afford to eat protein at least every two days is growing, from 1.8% in 2017 to 6.1% in 2026.

In parallel, the number of inhabitants who feel they adhere to a Mediterranean diet is decreasing. While in 2016 almost three out of four citizens responded affirmatively to this question, by 2022 the figure had dropped to 56%. Although the AMB considers that this does not allow us to infer that the population of Barcelona and its surroundings eats less healthily, the public administration prefers to remain vigilant.

"If the increase in food prices continues and there is no food aid [...] there will be groups of the population who will have more difficulty accessing certain products," warns Haro. In this sense, the director of Services for the Analysis of Metropolitan Policies emphasizes the importance of instilling adequate eating habits to avoid greater evils, both to ensure basic and quality intake quantities and to prevent health problems. For example, childhood obesity in the AMB has decreased in the last eight years – from 13.5% to 9.8% – but adult obesity remains stable at 15%.

This is why the administration is trying to incorporate new training programs in schools, explaining the socioeconomic impact of the decisions each person makes when choosing how to eat. "When we talk about environmental education, we must also incorporate nutrition," states Haro. Along the same lines, the AMB advocates for the need to protect small neighborhood businesses, not only to maintain the commercial fabric in towns and cities, but also to promote healthier food options. After all, "food is a structural element of a society and of a society that functions correctly," summarizes the head of the administration.