HOUSEHOLDS are buying less food when shopping, with 46 per cent spending more than usual on their usual basket of goods, official data revealed today.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that 43 per cent of people are purchasing less food amid the cost-of-living crisis, up from 8 per cent in September.

And more than 90 per cent of people reported that their living costs have risen over the last month, up from 62 per cent in November.