'One in four' Europeans suffer financial hardship as food, energy prices soar

Boxes of donated items at a food bank in London. A quarter of people surveyed across six European countries say they are in financial difficulty. AFP - DANIEL LEAL

According to survey by a French NGO, one in four people across six European countries say they are in a precarious financial situation that has forced them to give up certain needs – such as heating their home or eating meals.

The report, published this week by the anti-poverty NGO Secours Populaire, found that 62 percent of Europeans surveyed have already restricted their travel and 47 percent have given up heating their home despite the cold.