Affordability of Healthy Diets in Low-Income Populations

The affordability of healthy diets among low-income groups is a central determinant of nutritional equity and public health. Globally, individuals and families with limited financial resources face a dual burden: higher prevalence of diet-related diseases and restricted access to nutritious foods. Economic constraints drive reliance on energy-dense, nutrient-poor products, exacerbating obesity and micronutrient deficiencies. Affordability encompasses not only the market price of recommended dietary patterns but also ancillary costs such as travel, time and access to retail outlets. In remote or disadvantaged regions, limited retail competition and poor infrastructure often elevate food prices, further straining household budgets. Conversely, policy measures—such as targeted subsidies, taxation reforms and income supports—have demonstrated potential to shift purchasing toward healthier options without increasing total expenditure. Methodological advances facilitate standardised assessment of diet cost and affordability, enabling comparisons across settings and informing fiscal and regulatory interventions. Integrating economic, social and environmental dimensions, research underscores that ensuring affordable healthy diets is vital for reducing health disparities, bolstering food security and optimising food systems performance among the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Affordability of Healthy Diets in Low-Income Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in affordability of healthy diets in low-income populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Food affordability: The proportion of disposable income required to purchase a defined healthy diet, reflecting economic access to nutritious foods.

Food basket methodology: A systematic approach to compile representative lists of foods and quantities that meet dietary guidelines for cost and affordability assessment.

Discretionary choices: Foods and beverages not essential for nutrient requirements, typically high in saturated fat, added sugar, salt or alcohol, and often less costly per calorie.

Out-shopping: The practice of travelling beyond local retail outlets to purchase food at potentially lower prices, affecting measured local food affordability.

Food systems performance index: A composite metric evaluating components such as production, supply chains, infrastructure and services that influence the availability and affordability of healthy diets.

References

1. Food expensiveness in remote areas of Scotland: a natural experiment measuring the out-shopping effect. Food Security (2024).
2. Affordability of healthy diets is associated with increased food systems performance in Nigeria: state-level analysis. Agricultural and Food Economics (2023).
3. Affordability of current, and healthy, more equitable, sustainable diets by area of socioeconomic disadvantage and remoteness in Queensland: insights into food choice. International Journal for Equity in Health (2021).
4. Healthy diets ASAP – Australian Standardised Affordability and Pricing methods protocol. Nutrition Journal (2018).