HomeBusiness
Sign in
SupportFund

Research release

New report reads household-reported cost pressure alongside official price indices

What households report, what the price indices measure, and why the two need reading together.

Research release · Published 12 August 2026 · SupportFund

The report separates two kinds of ONS evidence that are often blurred together: what adults report about their own costs, and what the Household Costs Indices measure about the prices different household groups actually face.

It finds cost of living still the most commonly reported major issue facing the UK, food named far more often than any other driver, and measurably higher household-cost inflation for low-income households and renters.

It also shows real household disposable income per head and the household saving ratio both falling over the quarter covered by the ONS sector accounts.

Figures referenced

  • 89% — 89% of adults in Great Britain said the cost of living was an important issue facing the UK.Office for National Statistics · 6–31 May 2026
  • 93% — Among adults reporting a rise in their cost of living, 93% cited the price of food shopping.Office for National Statistics · May 2026
  • 3.7% — Households in income decile 2 saw costs rise by 3.7%.Office for National Statistics · Year to March 2026
  • 3.7% — Private renting households saw household costs rise by 3.7% in the year to March 2026.Office for National Statistics · Year to March 2026
  • -0.8% — Real household disposable income per head decreased by 0.8% in the first quarter of 2026.Office for National Statistics · Q1 2026
  • 8.9% — The UK household saving ratio was 8.9% in the first quarter of 2026.Office for National Statistics · Q1 2026

Related research