Grocery Prices Are Hitting So Hard That Half of Americans Say They’re Skipping Meals
Grocery bills are putting enough pressure on some households that about half of the people in a recent Self Financial survey said rising food prices have led them to skip meals. In the survey, which was conducted in August 2026 and published by the company on October 15, 50.6% of 1,035 U.S. adults said they have skipped meals because of increasing food prices, and 57.3% said they have reduced their portion sizes for the same reason.
That finding deserves attention, but it is a survey result, not a head count of Americans. Self Financial, a credit-building company, commissioned the survey, and the respondents were self-identified. About 82% were women and about 80% were between 29 and 44, so the results should not be read as a picture of the whole country. The finding also describes people who say they have skipped meals, which does not show whether that was a single missed meal or a regular pattern.
Grocery prices are still above last year
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that its food-at-home index, which tracks grocery prices, fell 0.1% in September. But over the 12 months ending in September, the index was still up 1.8%.
That difference matters when looking at what shoppers are experiencing. A monthly decline does not mean groceries have returned to earlier prices. It simply means the measured grocery-price index was slightly lower in September than it was in August.
Other food categories also continued to move higher. Food purchased away from home rose 3.5% over the year, while the overall Consumer Price Index increased 3.7%.
So while grocery inflation has eased compared with periods of faster increases, the prices consumers encounter at the store remain part of a larger cost-of-living picture.
Related: 6 Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill Amid Rising Food Prices
Where the “half of Americans” figure comes from
The headline figure comes from the Self Financial survey described by The Independent.
The report says approximately half of respondents said higher food prices had caused them to skip meals. That is a striking finding, but the wording matters because it describes what survey participants reported about their own experiences.
The report identifies the survey as involving around 1,000 people and says it was conducted in August. It does not establish that the respondents represent the entire U.S. population, nor does it provide enough detail to turn the rounded “half” figure into a precise national percentage.
It also does not explain how often respondents skipped meals or which period they were referring to when answering the question.
Those details matter because skipping one meal and regularly going without meals are very different experiences. The survey finding signals reported financial pressure among respondents, but it should not be treated as an official measure of food insecurity or a precise count of Americans skipping meals.
The grocery numbers tell a different part of the story
The BLS figures measure something different from the Self Financial survey.
The government data tracks changes in prices paid for food at home. The survey captures what people say those prices are doing to their household behavior.
Neither measure replaces the other. The 1.8% annual increase does not tell us how many households are skipping meals, while the survey result does not measure the overall change in grocery prices.
That distinction is important when headlines about food affordability start piling up. A price index can show that grocery prices are rising more slowly without showing that every household suddenly finds its food budget comfortable.
Other survey data show reported strain too
A separate October 1 survey from Navigator Research provides another look at food-budget pressure, although it asked a different question and covered a different population.
Among its respondents, 31% of people ages 18 to 44, 25% of those ages 45 to 65, and 17% of those 65 and older reported either skipping meals or reducing portions. The survey covered 1,000 registered voters in September 2026.
Those figures should not be combined with the Self Financial result to create a broader trend line. The populations, questions, and measures are different.
The useful takeaway is narrower: multiple surveys are capturing reports of households changing how they eat or manage food when costs become harder to handle.
Related: Experts Explain Hyperinflation and 8 Ways to Prepare and Protect Your Money
Food prices are not moving in one direction
The latest BLS report also shows why a single grocery-price number does not describe every item shoppers see.
In September, the overall food-at-home index declined 0.1% for the month. The meats, poultry, fish and eggs category fell 0.5%, while dairy and related products dropped 0.9%. At the same time, nonalcoholic beverages rose 0.9%, fruits and vegetables increased 0.5%, and cereals and bakery products rose 0.1%.
Over the year, fruits and vegetables were up 3.7%, nonalcoholic beverages increased 3.8%, and cereals and bakery products rose 2.1%. Meats, poultry, fish and eggs were up 0.3%, while dairy and related products were down 0.7%.
That mix helps explain why two households can experience the grocery-price situation differently. The foods purchased most often, along with household budgets and shopping habits, can affect how changes in the overall index are felt.
A slower increase is not the same as cheaper groceries
The latest numbers offer a useful distinction for shoppers trying to make sense of the headlines.
Grocery prices did fall slightly in September, but the food-at-home index remained 1.8% higher than a year earlier. At the same time, the survey reported by The Independent suggests that rising food costs are affecting some respondents strongly enough to change when and how they eat.
The two findings can exist at the same time. Prices can rise more slowly while households continue feeling pressure from the level prices have already reached.
For now, the clearest picture is not that every American is skipping meals or that grocery prices are suddenly surging again. It is that food affordability remains a serious concern for some households, while official data shows grocery prices are still above their year-earlier level.
