Allergy In Statistics

Did you know?

Allergy and related conditions are estimated to cost the NHS about £1 billion a year.

Key facts and figures

• Allergy and related conditions are estimated to cost the UK NHS about £1 billion a year.
• The percentage of children diagnosed with allergic rhinitis and eczema have both trebled over the last 30 years.
• Over 200,000 people require the prescription of emergency adrenaline due to their allergic condition.
• Allergic rhinitis affects 29% of people in the UK.
• The prevalence of cow’s milk allergy in children living in the developed world is approximately 2% to 3%, making it the most common cause of food allergy in the paediatric population.
• Around 10 people each year die in England and Wales as a result of having a food allergy.

Living with a food allergy

Allergy UK survey, 2023

• 63% of parents caring for a child with a food allergy worry about the financial cost of their child living with this condition.
• 66% of participants report that their food allergy has impacted their mental health.
• 59% of participants have faced challenges with accessing the proper diagnosis or care for their food allergy/allergies.
• 97% of them worry about allergic reactions when not in control of food preparation.

Allergy Perceptions

Allergy UK survey, 2021

• 61% would like government to do more to help people with allergies.
• 65% of parents would like to see specialist allergy nurses in GP surgeries.
• 72% of parents feel that sometimes their children’s allergies are not taken seriously.
• 65% say their child has felt discriminated against in a restaurant, because there was nothing they could safely eat.