Which countries have told people to stockpile food? These national governments have officially told households to keep food, water and an emergency kit at home, how many days they advise and why. Newest first; each links to its source.
The Commission asked everyone in the EU to keep food, water, medicines and essential documents so they can manage alone for at least 72 hours. Member states give their own advice, listed below.
· WAR RISK, CYBER ATTACKS, SABOTAGE, DISASTERSEURONEWS ↗Standing federal advice: keep at least several days of non-perishable food and one gallon of water per person per day. On 29 October 2026 former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino urged Americans to stock up; that was podcast commentary, not a new government directive.
STANDING ADVICE · READY.GOV ↗Announced: households will be asked to keep food, water and portable toilets for at least three days, ideally a week. The formal request is due on 2 November 2026, when the new agency opens.
· NANKAI TROUGH MEGAQUAKE, TOKYO QUAKE, MT FUJI ERUPTIONNIKKEI ↗Keep three days of supplies: 3 litres of water per person per day, no-cook food, torch, radio, power bank, cash, medicines and a first aid kit.
· SEVERE WEATHER, POWER, WATER AND TELECOMS OUTAGESGOV.UK ↗Every household gets 'My Guide to 72 Hours of Self-Sufficiency', with a list of supplies for the first 72 hours.
· POWER CUTS, NATURAL DISASTERS, CYBER ATTACKSGOUVERNEMENT.LU ↗Keep a 72-hour home kit: 3 to 10 litres of water per person per day, long-life food, three days of medicine, radio, torch and iodine tablets, plus a grab bag.
· POWER CUTS, FLOODS, GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONBRUSSELS TIMES ↗A booklet sent to about 2.2 million homes: keep food, 2 to 3 litres of water per person per day, a way to stay warm and charge phones, a radio and key documents.
· EXTREME WEATHER, LONG POWER CUTSIRISH TIMES ↗The 'Tous responsables' guide: keep water, food, basic medicines and a radio so the household can cope alone for 72 hours.
· NATURAL, HEALTH, TECHNOLOGICAL AND SECURITY CRISESGOUVERNEMENT ↗A booklet to every household: keep water, food and essentials for the first 72 hours without power, water or internet. Relaunched in October 2026.
· POWER CUTS, CYBER ATTACKS, FLOODINGRIJKSOVERHEID ↗A '72 hours' handbook to 5.2 million homes: about 2 litres of water per adult per day, long-life food, a week of medicines, radio, torch and cash.
· FLOODS, POWER CUTS, SERVICE DISRUPTIONMINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR ↗A new guide: stock food and 2 litres of water per person per day to last up to 10 days, building up through 3, 5 and 7 days.
· POWER CUTS, EXTREME WEATHER, UNSETTLED WORLD SITUATIONBBK ↗The 'In Case of Crisis' guide, mailed to about 9.8 million homes, raised the home stockpile from three days to at least a week, plus a go-bag.
· CHINESE MILITARY PRESSURE, BLOCKADE OR INVASIONTAIPEI TIMES ↗A safety guide, printed for every household by January 2026: three days of home supplies, a first aid kit and an evacuation backpack.
· RUSSIA'S WAR IN UKRAINE, SABOTAGE, DRONESNOTES FROM POLAND ↗Keep a home emergency supply so the household can cope alone for at least 72 hours.
· OUTAGES, EXTREME WEATHER, MILITARY CONFLICTNATIONAL EMERGENCY SUPPLY AGENCY ↗The 'In case of crisis or war' brochure, posted to every household: keep food, water, heating, medicines and cash to manage for at least a week.
· RISK OF WAR WITH RUSSIAMCF ↗A national campaign and calculator: keep an emergency stock of food, water and essentials, a week by default.
· UKRAINE WAR, PANDEMICS, EXTREME WEATHERBLUE NEWS ↗Be able to look after yourself for three days: 9 litres of water per person, long-life food, medicines, iodine tablets, radio, torch and cash.
· WORSENING EUROPEAN SECURITY, SABOTAGE, CYBER ATTACKSDEMA ↗Advice raised from three days to a week: water, long-life food, a camping stove, heat, radio, medicines, iodine tablets and cash. A brochure went to every home that autumn.
· EXTREME WEATHER, SABOTAGE, ACTS OF WARDSB ↗A crisis manual sent to about 600,000 homes covers home supplies and evacuation bags; the standing advice is to cope alone for at least seven days.
· EMERGENCY OR MILITARY CRISISERR NEWS ↗The 2024 'What to do in case of a crisis' brochure: stock food, water and essentials for 3 to 7 days, preferably a week.
· MILITARY THREAT, DISASTERS, PANDEMICSMINISTRY OF DEFENCE ↗Japan's request has been announced and is due on 2 November 2026. Some countries, such as Lithuania and Israel, have long-standing kit advice but no new national call since 2024, so they are not listed. In March 2026 several Gulf states told residents not to stockpile.
19 countries: Japan, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Belgium, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Czechia, Germany, Taiwan, Poland, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Estonia and Latvia, plus standing federal advice in the United States. In March 2025 the European Commission also asked everyone in the EU to keep 72 hours of supplies.
Yes. On 22 October 2026 the Cabinet Office's Be Ready campaign asked households to keep three days of supplies: 3 litres of water per person per day, food that needs no cooking, a torch, a radio, a power bank, cash, medicines and a first aid kit.
There is no new federal call. FEMA's standing Ready.gov advice is to keep at least several days of non-perishable food and one gallon of water per person per day. Former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino's call to stock up on 29 October 2026 was podcast commentary, not a government directive.
Most governments advise 72 hours, or three days. Sweden, Norway, Taiwan, Estonia and Latvia advise a week, Switzerland's calculator defaults to a week, and Germany's guide builds up to 10 days.
Drinking water, usually 2 to 3 litres per person per day; food that keeps and needs little cooking; regular medicines and a first aid kit; a battery or wind-up radio, a torch, a power bank and some cash. Several countries also advise iodine tablets.
The reasons given include the risk of war with Russia, sabotage and cyber attacks on power and water, extreme weather and floods, pressure from China on Taiwan and, in Japan, a major earthquake or eruption.
Germany. Its October 2025 guide builds up from three, five and seven days to food and water for up to 10 days.
Japan announced on 28 October 2026 that households will be asked to keep food, water and portable toilets for at least three days, ideally a week. The formal request is due on 2 November 2026, when its new Disaster Management Agency opens.
Yes. On 26 March 2025 the European Commission's Preparedness Union Strategy asked everyone in the EU to keep enough food, water, medicines and documents to manage alone for at least 72 hours.
Water. Usually 2 to 3 litres per person per day for drinking, more for washing. Denmark says 9 litres per person for three days.
Food that keeps. Tins, dried and long-life food that needs little or no cooking, plus a camping stove in some guides.
Medicine and first aid. A few days to a week of regular prescriptions, a first aid kit and, in several countries, iodine tablets.
Power, light and cash. A battery or wind-up radio, a torch, a power bank and some cash in case card payments stop.