Washington, D.C. — Food insecurity in the United States has seen a troubling increase over the past several years, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The report, based on data from the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement collected in December 2023, reveals that 86.5 percent of U.S. households were food secure throughout the entire year. This marks a decline from 2021, when 89.8 percent of households were consistently food secure.
In 2023, approximately 13.5 percent of U.S. households, equivalent to 18 million households, experienced food insecurity at some point during the year. This represents a notable increase from previous years, maintaining a steady rise from 10.2 percent in 2021 and 10.5 percent in 2020. Of those affected, 3.8 percent experienced very low food security, a figure similar to the 3.9 percent recorded in 2020.
The report highlights that food insecurity levels among households with children remained stable, indicating that existing programs such as the National School Lunch Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and SNAP continue to play a crucial role. The USDA supports the expansion of initiatives like the SUN Bucks program, which was introduced in 2024 to address summer hunger when school is not in session.
Vilsack emphasized the importance of continuing and strengthening these programs, stating that proposals to cut food assistance, including potential reductions to SNAP in the next Farm Bill, are misguided. He stressed the urgency of addressing food insecurity to ensure that all Americans, especially children, have access to sufficient and nutritious food.
“For anyone to go hungry in America is unacceptable,” Vilsack added. “This report reaffirms that cutting food assistance is out of step with the reality working families face and undermines our commitment to supporting the next generation.”
The USDA’s latest report underscores the critical need for sustained investment in food security programs to combat the growing issue of hunger across the country.
