Inflation, food insecurity, and mental health: Generation Z’s burden in emerging Europe

Inflation does not just raise prices; it reshapes daily life. For Generation Z (Gen Z), rising food costs and financial instability are not abstract economic shifts but lived realities carrying serious emotional and psychological weight. This study explores how perceived inflation relates to food insecurity and depressive symptoms among university students in Hungary, one of the EU’s hardest-hit economies during recent inflation surges. As an emerging EU economy with limited student welfare support, Hungary offers a critical lens for understanding how inflation, food insecurity, and mental health intersect across vulnerable populations in similar contexts. Using validated measures (FIES, PHQ-9) and survey data from 517 Gen Z students, we examine how students’ personal experiences of inflation affect both their access to basic needs and their mental health. Our findings show that perceived inflation is not only an economic burden but a psychological amplifier capable of intensifying insecurity and emotional distress, especially among emotionally sensitive students and young women. Nearly half of our sample reported food insecurity, and more than three-quarters indicated signs of moderate to severe depression. These results point to a deeper truth: when basic needs become harder to attain, mental health suffers. Inflation, food insecurity, and emotional well-being are deeply interconnected and properly addressing them requires more than financial aid alone. To truly support Gen Z and future generations, universities and policymakers must work together to offer holistic solutions that safeguard both economic stability and mental well-being.