Reduced budgets and reduced plans as cost of living crisis continues

plates of food — Ramadan Food. Photo: ASDA

New research reveals the shocking impact the cost of living, as over 89% of British Muslims say that the cost-of-living crisis will impact their Ramadan and Eid plans this year, nearly one in five (18%) plan to spend between £20-£30 less on food per week than in 2023, and 17% will have to change cooking techniques due to energy prices. Under a quarter (12%) say they will have to reduce charity donations to mitigate budget concerns.

Over half of Muslims in the capital (53%) say they will cut back on the amount of food they buy during Ramadan. With a third (36%) admitting they’ll be forced to buy fewer or cheaper alternatives to what they’re used to, over one in ten people (11%) are concerned they won’t know what to cook with the ingredients they’re forced to buy, and 10% are concerned they won’t be able to produce delicious, flavoursome meals. 73% of Muslims in the Greater London area feel uninspired as to what to cook when it comes to cooking Iftar and Ramadan meals at home and 70% feel that their at-home meals are lacklustre

The research, carried out by Supermarket Asda, also revealed that despite a third (36%) of Muslims saying their favourite part of Ramadan is spending time with their friends and family, one in nine (11%) say they will be holding smaller gatherings to mitigate budget concerns.

To help support families during their observance and provide some culinary inspiration for those hosting, without breaking the bank, Asda has partnered with 2012 MasterChef Cost of living concerns for Ramadan Shelina Permalloo to create four delicious recipes that start at 45p per portion.

All statistics quoted from Censuswide research conducted by Asda (1,500 nationally representative UK general consumers), March 2024.

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