Household preparedness · Official-source comparison
Emergency supplies by country: how much, and when advice changed
Many governments recommend keeping everyday essentials at home. The amounts differ—and a new campaign does not necessarily mean the advice changed.
Food, drinking water, hygiene water and an evacuation bag are different things. This comparison keeps those categories and regional limits separate rather than ranking countries by a single number.
Sources checked 29 October 2026. Dates below describe the official advice or announcement, not when this page was published.
At a glance
| Country / scope | What the official source recommends |
|---|---|
| AustraliaQueensland state guidance — not a single Australian national rule | Queensland emergency kit: 3 days of food and water; 10 litres of water per person. |
| CanadaNational household guidance | Emergency kit: at least 72 hours of self-sufficiency. |
| FinlandNational household guidance | Home food, water and essentials: at least 3 days; longer if possible. |
| FranceNational household guidance | Emergency kit: 72 hours of autonomy. |
| GermanyNational household guidance | Aim for 10 days; at least 3 days is a useful starting reserve. |
| JapanNational household guidance | Household food: at least 3 days, preferably around 1 week. |
| NetherlandsNational household guidance | Household self-sufficiency: at least the first 72 hours. |
| New ZealandNational household guidance | Aim for a week or more of food and water; minimum 3 days. |
| NorwayNational household guidance | Household self-preparedness: 1 week. |
| SingaporeNational evacuation-bag guidance | Evacuation Ready Bag: no number of days specified. |
| SwedenNational household guidance | Household readiness without public assistance: 1 week. |
| SwitzerlandNational household guidance | Food: about 1 week. Water: at least 9 litres per person for 3 days of drinking and cooking. |
| TaiwanNational household guidance | Home supplies: at least 7 days. Separate personal go bag: at least 1–3 days of supplies, as the official checklist phrases it. |
| United KingdomNational household guidance | Food and drinking water: 3 days. |
| United StatesFederal CDC checklist focused on pregnancy, infants and children | Food and water: several days, rather than a fixed day count in this source. |
What changed—and what did not
A source’s publication date is not automatically the date a recommendation changed. Where the official page is undated or does not establish a change, we say so. Regional guidance is not presented as a nationwide rule; strategic government reserves are outside this household comparison.
Australia
Queensland state guidance — not a single Australian national rule
Supplies: Queensland emergency kit: 3 days of food and water; 10 litres of water per person.
Date context: Queensland SES page last updated 16 May 2024; this is not a nationwide policy date.
The state checklist addresses disruption from hazards including storms, floods and cyclones. Tailor supplies to all household members and check them each season. Other Australian jurisdictions may specify different scenarios and durations.
Queensland State Emergency Service ↗
Related coverage: Queensland’s emergency-kit guidance recommends three days of food and water
Canada
National household guidance
Supplies: Emergency kit: at least 72 hours of self-sufficiency.
Date context: Campaign page dated 1 May 2026; Emergency Preparedness Week ran 3–9 May. These are campaign dates, not the first adoption of the recommendation.
Public Safety Canada pairs an emergency kit with knowing local risks and making a household plan. Provincial and territorial advice provides local context.
Related coverage: Canada’s preparedness week promotes risk awareness and a 72-hour kit
Finland
National household guidance
Supplies: Home food, water and essentials: at least 3 days; longer if possible.
Date context: Home-supplies section updated 29 June 2026; not evidence that the recommendation began then.
Use products normally consumed at home and build reserves before disruption. The official guide discourages hoarding and stresses that even a small reserve helps.
Suomi.fi · Finnish Digital and Population Data Services Agency ↗
Related coverage: Finland’s standing guidance recommends at least three days of home supplies
France
National household guidance
Supplies: Emergency kit: 72 hours of autonomy.
Date context: Guide announced 20 November 2025; source webpage modified 14 August 2026. The modification date is not the launch.
The kit covers food and drink, warmth and basic care. The guide also stresses mutual support and first-aid skills, rather than supplies alone.
French Government · Service d’information du Gouvernement ↗
Related coverage: France’s Tous responsables guide recommends 72-hour autonomy
Germany
National household guidance
Supplies: Aim for 10 days; at least 3 days is a useful starting reserve.
Date context: Current BBK FAQ is undated. Its three-day starting point does not replace the ten-day goal.
BBK recommends building supplies progressively. Avoid presenting the two figures as contradictory rules or claiming Germany reduced its preparedness target.
German Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) ↗
Related coverage: Germany’s revised guide keeps a ten-day goal, with three days a useful start
Japan
National household guidance
Supplies: Household food: at least 3 days, preferably around 1 week.
Date context: The household-food guidance is undated; it mentions a portal launch in March 2019, not a new duration change.
MAFF recommends keeping ordinary food in reserve for disrupted supplies. This row describes food stocks, not an independently verified duration for every item in an evacuation bag.
Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) ↗
Related coverage: Japan updates food-stock materials for households with additional needs
Netherlands
National household guidance
Supplies: Household self-sufficiency: at least the first 72 hours.
Date context: Reiterated in a government announcement published 13 April 2026; not identified as a new duration standard on that date.
The guidance covers disruptions such as power, internet and payment outages. It means being able to care for your household while emergency services prioritise the greatest need.
Government of the Netherlands ↗
Related coverage: Dutch campaign update sets out June and October activity
New Zealand
National household guidance
Supplies: Aim for a week or more of food and water; minimum 3 days.
Date context: NEMA page last updated 16 December 2025; not proof of a newly introduced duration.
NEMA encourages gradual preparation and checking local advice where isolation could last longer. Its water guidance distinguishes a minimum reserve from additional cooking and washing needs.
New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) ↗
Related coverage: New Zealand advises a three-day minimum, with a week or more where possible
Norway
National household guidance
Supplies: Household self-preparedness: 1 week.
Date context: DSB identifies May 2024 as the change from at least three days to one week. The current overview has no displayed publication date.
The recommendation concerns managing disruption to critical services. The annual campaign is distinct from the 2024 duration change.
Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) ↗
Related coverage: Norway’s one-week household guidance dates to May 2024
Singapore
National evacuation-bag guidance
Supplies: Evacuation Ready Bag: no number of days specified.
Date context: Page last updated 16 March 2025; original introduction date is not established.
This is a portable evacuation bag, not a quantified home stockpile. Bottled water and dry food are optional items on this checklist; avoid inventing a 72-hour requirement.
Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) ↗
Related coverage: Singapore recommends an accessible Ready Bag for evacuation
Sweden
National household guidance
Supplies: Household readiness without public assistance: 1 week.
Date context: Campaign ran 21–27 September 2026. This annual campaign date is not a new one-week policy date.
The agency’s campaign FAQ reiterates one-week household readiness and says the campaign takes an all-hazards approach rather than responding to one current event.
Swedish Civil Defence Agency (Myndigheten för civilt försvar) ↗
Related coverage: Sweden’s annual preparedness week reinforces one-week household readiness
Switzerland
National household guidance
Supplies: Food: about 1 week. Water: at least 9 litres per person for 3 days of drinking and cooking.
Date context: Standing page is undated. Its brochure download is dated 13 October 2025, which is not established as the policy launch.
The water figure excludes personal hygiene and toilet flushing. Keep food and water durations separate: calling this simply a seven-day kit would obscure that distinction.
Swiss Federal Office for National Economic Supply (FONES) ↗
Related coverage: Switzerland recommends about a week of food, with a separate three-day water reserve
Taiwan
National household guidance
Supplies: Home supplies: at least 7 days. Separate personal go bag: at least 1–3 days of supplies, as the official checklist phrases it.
Date context: The two online checklist sections are undated; checking them today does not establish when the durations were introduced.
The home checklist specifies at least 3 litres of drinking water per person per day. The evacuation bag is a separate, carryable kit; do not apply the seven-day home quantity to what someone should carry.
Taiwan Ministry of National Defense · All-out Defense Mobilization Agency ↗ · Taiwan Ministry of National Defense · Evacuation bag ↗
Related coverage: Taiwan’s safety guide distinguishes seven-day home supplies from a go bag
United Kingdom
National household guidance
Supplies: Food and drinking water: 3 days.
Date context: Current checklist is undated; the campaign announcement is dated 22 October 2026. This does not establish when the three-day wording first appeared.
The checklist specifies long-life food that needs no cooking and 3 litres of drinking water per person per day. More water is needed for cooking and washing. Build supplies gradually and tailor them to household needs.
Related coverage: UK launches Be Ready campaign; much of the advice is unchanged
United States
Federal CDC checklist focused on pregnancy, infants and children
Supplies: Food and water: several days, rather than a fixed day count in this source.
Date context: CDC checklist dated 30 April 2026; not established as a new national recommendation.
The audience includes pregnant women, infants and children. It specifies at least one gallon of water per person per day for several days, covering multiple uses, and says needs may be higher during pregnancy or lactation.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ↗
Related coverage: US federal checklist recommends several days of food and water
How to use this comparison
Use the linked official checklist for your household and location. A supply duration is a planning recommendation, not a prediction of when an emergency will happen. Follow current local instructions during an incident.
Nations Prepare is independent and not affiliated with any government. This is a selected comparison, not a claim that unlisted countries have no guidance.