In March 2025, the European Commission published its Preparedness Union Strategy. One of its headline recommendations is simple: every household should be able to cope on its own for at least 72 hours in a crisis.
Why 72 hours?
In a large-scale emergency, rescue services go first to the people in the greatest danger: hospitals, care homes, people trapped or injured. Everyone else may have to wait. Seventy-two hours is roughly how long it takes for organised help to reach most people after a major disaster. If most households can look after themselves for that long, emergency services can focus where they are most needed.
The EU sets the goal, countries write the list
The strategy itself does not publish an item list. National authorities do, and we compared 24 of them. They broadly agree on the core: water, food that keeps, a torch, a radio, first aid, medication, cash, and copies of documents.
Not everyone plans for 72 hours
| Period | Countries |
|---|---|
| 72 hours | France, Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Poland, Czechia, the UK and most others |
| 1 week | Sweden, Estonia |
| 10 days | Germany |
| 14 days | Austria |
The longer periods reflect history and geography: the Nordic and Baltic states plan with long winter outages and the risk of war in mind, and Germany has long recommended a ten-day stock.
What the lists disagree on
- Iodine tablets appear only in countries near nuclear plants, such as Finland, Belgium, Denmark and Austria, and only to take when the authorities say so.
- Heaters that run without power appear in colder countries: Germany, Sweden, Poland, Austria, Slovakia.
- A whistle appears mainly in earthquake- and flood-prone countries: Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria, Portugal, Cyprus.
- A camping toilet or bucket appears only in Germany, Sweden and Poland, though anyone whose water supply depends on pumps will need one.
Where to start
Don't buy everything at once. Start with water, a torch, a radio and some tinned food, then add a little each time you shop. Our checklist follows your own country's guide, sizes everything for your household, and shows what you still need.