Editor’s note – updated for 2026
This article combines uptodate inflation context with behavioural data from 150,049 UK social media users collected by Polly between May 2023 and May 2024.
A concise cost of living overview for February 2026
The UK’s cost of living crisis has eased from its 2022 peak but hasn’t gone away. According to the Office for National Statistics, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 3.4% in the 12 months to December 2025, while CPIH increased by 3.6%, both still above the Bank of England’s 2% target. Global shocks such as the postpandemic rebound and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, plus higher interest rates and domestic pressures on rents, mortgages, food, insurance and council tax, continue to squeeze households.
With essentials still expensive and wage growth uneven, many people are changing how they live, spend and save just to cope. To understand who is talking most about these pressures, how they feel about government support, and what they are giving up, we analysed Polly data from 150,049 UK users on TikTok, Reddit and X, covering the 12 months to 9 May 2024.
47% of UK citizens are struggling financially
Polly’s data shows “struggling financially” dominates moneyrelated discussions.
Typical UK household energy costs in the first quarter of 2026 are expected to be about £1,758 a year, higher than the Q3 2024 average, but below the early2025 peak. Overall, bills in 2026 are still roughly 45% above 2021/22 levels.
“Struggling financially” records 47% engagement, 32.4% more than living paycheque to paycheque (14.6%). Only 9.6% of people are engaging with “investing for retirement”, even though 2 in 5 workingage adults are not saving enough and many lack even £1,000 in basic savings. Just 5.2% say they are financially secure and 4.2% describe their situation as stable.
Rent and mortgages hit 40.4% hardest
Updated ONS data tells us average UK monthly private rents increased by 4.0%, to £1,368, in the 12 months to December 2025; this annual growth rate is down from 4.4% in the 12 months to November 2025. Reflecting this, 40.4% of engagement focuses on rent and mortgage increases.
Healthcare follows at 19%, highlighting more outofpocket spending despite the NHS being free at the point of use. Groceries and utilities account for 15.5% and 13.2% of engagement, while transport is lowest at 12%, despite already high train fares.
Nearly 40% cut back on groceries
When people cut spending, food is the first place many turn. Groceries top the list of services foregone, with 39.4% saying they have reduced food spending. Housing is mentioned by 22.5%, reflecting trends such as adult children staying longer in the family home. The ONS reports that around 22.4% of families now have an adult child living with them, almost double a decade ago.
39.8% want a higher minimum wage
Government support is a major focus. From April 2026, the UK government is increasing the National Living Wage (21 and over) by 4.1% to £12.71 per hour. This is a positive sign that the government are reflecting the public sentiment, considering “Increase the minimum wage” was the mostengaged policy topic at 39.8%, closely followed by “invest in job creation” at 35.9%.
Improving financial literacy attracts 10.1% engagement, echoing research that almost 73% of UK adults fall below the benchmark for financial knowledge. Expanding social welfare, affordable housing and rent control register 7.1%, 3.5% and 2.5% respectively, while improving public transport (0.9%) and supporting small businesses (0.2%) attract relatively little attention.
Over65s feel the squeeze most
Older people are the most vocal about rising costs. A BBC report found that the income needed for a “moderate” retirement has risen by £8,000, partly as older generations help younger family members. In Polly’s data, those aged 65+ account for 34.2% of costofliving engagement, followed by 55–64yearolds at 20.8% and 45–54yearolds at 19.1%.
By contrast, those aged 25–34 record just 6.8% engagement, despite being in key homebuying years. Under25s account for 8.8% and 35–44yearolds for 10.3%, suggesting a gap between who is most affected and who is most vocal online.
Women are hit hardest
Women are significantly more engaged in discussions about the rising cost of living than men. Polly’s data shows women accounting for 65.6% of engagement versus 34.4% for men. This aligns with research from Mintel showing 45% of women feel financially worse off than a year ago, compared with 35% of men.
Overall, the cost of living remains a central concern in the UK, with women and older age groups particularly affected. The topics that attract the most engagement – struggling financially, housing costs, cutting back on groceries and calls for a higher minimum wage – highlight where the pressure is most intense and where support is most urgently expected.
About the data
The data was sourced from Polly, which created independent samples of 150,049 people from X, Reddit and TikTok in the UK over a year, up to 9 May 2024. Responses were analysed to produce outcomes within a 90% confidence interval and 5% margin of error, with engagement estimating how many people in each location were participating.
Demographics were inferred from signals such as name, location and selfdescriptions, with privacy protected using kanonymity and differential privacy. Results are based on what people describe online rather than responses to direct survey questions.
