25.5pc BD households borrow to buy daily food items: BBS

FHM HUMAYAN KABIR
An estimated 25.5 per cent households in Bangladesh borrow money to buy daily food items as their income is insufficient enough to intake their daily meals, official data shows.
To cover basic food shortages, the incidence of taking loans is higher in rural areas at 27.8 per cent, followed by urban and city corporation areas at 23.6 per cent and 15.3 per cent respectively.
The latest BBS report styled 'Food Security Statistics 2023' reveals that the monthly household average food costs is Tk 12,053 at the national level.
The expenditure in city corporation areas is higher at Tk 14,125, followed by in urban areas at Tk 11,890 and in rural areas at Tk 11,718, the study findings showed.

Of the expenditure, households spend the highest in daily rice purchase.
In each rural household, the average monthly expenditure for rice is Tk 2,822 and for fish is Tk 1,637.
In city corporation areas, the spending on rice is Tk 2,221 and it is Tk 2,540 per month in urban areas.
Monthly food expenditure was the highest at 22.36 per cent for the consumption of rice.
The second-highest cost is 14.05 per cent for buying fish/crab-type food items, while the third-highest 7.40 per cent go for the intake of fruits.
The BBS survey shows as 25.5 per cent of the total households borrow for the intake of their daily meals, most of them go to non-profit organisations.
When it comes to loan sources, the majority of the households (68.2 per cent) take loans from non-profit organisations, including NGOs.
On the other hand, 14.4 per cent come from lenders, 10.9 per cent from relatives, 3.50 per cent from banks and 30 per cent from other sources.
As non-profits are the main source of borrowing for food purchase, some 69.5 per cent rural households go to NGOs while that of 65.7 per cent in urban areas.
Again, 61.1 per cent households in city corporation areas go for NGOs' assistance.
Meanwhile, some 21.92 per cent of the households in the country are facing moderate-to-severe food insecurity, while 0.82 per cent are severely food insecure, according to the BBS survey.
Since 21.92 per cent households experienced moderate-to-severe food insecurity in 2023 and some 0.87 per cent of them are facing severe food insecurity, it implies a high probability of reduced food intake.
It can lead to severe forms of under-nutrition, observes the BBS report.
The survey was conducted among 29,760 households across the country in June 2023.
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