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-Editorial
A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveals a concerning trend in food insecurity across the United States. While the majority of American households continue to enjoy consistent access to sufficient food for healthy living, the number of households experiencing food insecurity has risen significantly.
In 2023, approximately 86.5 percent of U.S. households were food secure, meaning they had reliable access to enough food. However, the remaining 13.5 percent, equating to 18 million households, faced food insecurity. This figure marks an increase from 12.8 percent in 2022 and 10.2 percent in 2021. Households classified as food insecure struggled at some point during the year to provide enough food for all members due to a lack of resources.
A more severe form of food insecurity, labeled as “very low food security,” affected 5.1 percent of households in 2023, representing 6.8 million households. In these households, the disruption in eating patterns and reduction in food intake were more pronounced. This rate remains statistically unchanged from 2022 but is notably higher than the figures reported in 2021 and 2020.
Particularly concerning are households with children. In 2023, 8.9 percent of households with children (3.2 million households) experienced food insecurity, a slight increase from 2022. In 1 percent of these households, both children and adults faced very low food security, leading to instances of hunger and skipped meals.
These findings are based on data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau through the Current Population Survey, with the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) analyzing responses from nearly 31,000 households. The rising food insecurity rates highlight the ongoing struggles many Americans face in accessing adequate nutrition. The USDA’s food and nutrition assistance programs remain a critical resource for low-income households during these challenging times.
Food-insecure households are further classified as having either low food security or very low food security. The very low food security category identifies households in which the food intake of one or more members was reduced and eating patterns disrupted because of insufficient money and other resources for food.
Households without children were classified as having very low food security if they reported six or more food-insecure conditions. Households with children aged 0-17 were classified as having very low food security if they reported eight or more food-insecure conditions among adults and/or children. They were further classified as having very low food security among children if they reported five or more food-insecure conditions among the children.
Low and very low food security differ in the extent and character of the adjustments the household makes to its eating patterns and food intake.
The remaining 13.5 percent of U.S. households (18 million households) were food insecure at some time during 2023. Food insecurity means that households were, at times, unable to acquire adequate food for one or more household members because they had insufficient money and other resources for food. Most food-insecure households, those classified as having low food security (but not very low food security), avoided substantial reductions or disruptions in food intake, in some cases by relying on a few basic foods and reducing variety in their diets. In 2023, 8.4 percent of U.S. households (11.2 million households) had low food security, and an additional 5.1 percent (6.8 million households) had very low food security. Very low food security means that households were food insecure to the extent that the eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted and their food intake reduced, at least sometime during the year, because they could not afford enough food.
Low-income, food-insecure households spent less on food, purchased fewer calories overall, and had lower nutritional quality food purchases than low-income, food-secure households according to the USDA’s National Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey data. Even when differences in income and other characteristics are accounted for, low-income, food-insecure adults have poorer quality diets compared with low-income, food-secure adults according to individual reports of food intake from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The recent USDA report highlights that 47.4 million people, or 14.3 percent of the U.S. civilian population, lived in food-insecure households in 2023. Of this group, 33.6 million were adults, and 13.8 million were children. However, it is essential to note that food insecurity affects household members differently. While adults often face the brunt of food shortages, young children may experience fewer or milder effects. In households with very low food security, 12.2 million adults and 841,000 children endured more severe food scarcity, where even basic meals were disrupted due to a lack of resources. Describing these individuals as “persons living in food-insecure households” rather than “food-insecure persons” provides a more accurate reflection of the varied impacts within families.