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Foodbanks nationwide have seen a sharp increase in Asian users, with migrant workers and students particularly noticeable, according to charity organisations on the ground.
Sonya Cameron, food security manager of the Salvation Army, said Asian individuals had been the ethnic group least likely to use the organisation's 65 foodbanks around the country.
“However, their representation has increased from 2.3 per cent of foodbank users (861 households) in 2023 to four per cent (1344 households) in 2025, which is a 56 per cent increase,” Cameron said.
“What is also concerning is that Asian people using our foodbanks are significantly more likely to have no income.”
In 2025, 24 percent of Asian households seeking help from the Salvation Army reported having no income, compared with six perccent across all foodbank users, she said.
Among Asian communities, the most frequent users of the charity’s foodbanks were Indian individuals, followed by those of Sri Lankan, Filipino, Chinese and Afghan descent.
The greatest increases between 2023 and 2025 had been from the Sri Lankan and Filipino communities, Cameron said. [...]
The impact of high unemployment on migrant workers and international students played a part, Cameron explained.
“Across Auckland and Hamilton, we are seeing people arrive on work visas after being recruited overseas with promises of secure jobs and accommodation, only to find that the work does not exist, hours have been cut or employers have closed,” she said.
RNZ
