Food Costs Consume Over A Week Of Work In 11 Nations
In 11 countries, buying basic staples requires over a week of labor, highlighting extreme global disparities in food affordability.
Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Inflation
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A new report from World Vision reveals that residents in 11 of 56 surveyed countries must work more than a full week to afford ten basic staple foods. While U.S. workers can purchase these items with one hour of labor, households in nations like the Central African Republic require over 30 days of work.
Why it matters
The report highlights extreme global disparities in purchasing power, where localized inflation and economic instability make essential nutrition unaffordable for millions. This data illustrates how rising food costs relative to average income levels threaten household food security in vulnerable regions.
Purchasing ten staple foods requires 30.1 workdays in the Central African Republic, 19.3 in Sudan, 10.1 in Myanmar, and 9.5 in Haiti. These figures are based on survey pricing conducted between November 2025 and May 2026.
The players
World Vision
An international humanitarian organization that tracks global food security and economic conditions.
The details
Researchers calculated affordability by comparing the price of a basket including bananas, rice, wheat flour, sugar, maize, tomatoes, chicken, eggs, cooking oil, and milk against average per capita income adjusted for purchasing power. This method exposes the gap between market prices and a household's ability to pay, with Sudanese food prices notably recording a 36 percent decrease from 2024 levels amid ongoing famine conditions.
Timeline
Survey pricing was conducted from November 2025 to May 2026.
Sudanese food prices were benchmarked against 2024 levels.
Famine was reported in parts of Sudan throughout 2025 and 2026.
Money Landscape
This analysis tracks with the broader humanitarian crisis, following the 2025 estimate of 35.5 million acutely malnourished children worldwide. The data illustrates how localized economic constraints limit access to basic nutrition despite global market price variations.
For households in the affected regions, this data confirms the severe disparity between income and the cost of essential sustenance. Readers outside these regions should view this as a gauge of global price volatility that can influence supply chains and food aid planning.
The takeaway
This data underscores the extreme economic barriers to food access for millions of households in 11 surveyed nations. Tracking regional inflation data and local purchasing power trends can provide early warnings for households managing budgets in volatile markets.
Further reading
For broader context on how rising costs impact household purchasing power, explore our Inflation section.
Live Poll
Have rising food costs made it more difficult for your household to afford groceries this year?
