Almost half of all primary school aged children in Wales say they worry about having enough to eat, a new survey has shown.

A survey by the Children’s Commissioner for Wales - which asked 7,873 children and young people their views on a range of issues - found that 45 per cent of children aged to 11 said they worry about having enough to eat.

Children’s concerns were echoed by parents, with 36 per cent of parents saying that they worry about their children having enough food.

Almost two-thirds (61 per cent) of children aged 7 to 11 worried about their families not having enough money for the things they need, as did 52 per cent of children aged 11 to 18.

Commissioner, Rocio Cifuentes MBE, said the early findings from the survey are a ‘startling snapshot’ of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on children.

The findings come after the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education committee warned that the cost-of-living crisis is impacting school attendance.

The Children’s Commissioner said: “Even before this crisis we had a huge number of children living in poverty in Wales.

“I’ve repeatedly called on the Welsh Government for a child poverty action plan, something I’ve reiterated in my latest annual report.

“We desperately need to see a plan that is focused, clear, and has targets to reduce the number of children and young people facing hardship – a call supported by the Auditor General for Wales.

“It’s really striking and shocking to see the level of worry amongst children and young people for some of the most basic everyday things, like having enough to eat and enough money for the things they need.

“These are things that children should not be worrying about it all, and I’m deeply concerned about the potential long-term impact this could have on their wellbeing.”