These charts track the trends in food insecurity, and food insecurity with hunger amongst households, individuals, adults and children, in the United States over the last eleven years. As the charts indicate, rates of overall food insecurity and food insecurity with hunger in the United States have risen over this period, and very dramatically over the last two years. In fact in 2008, 14.6 percent of U.S. households (17 million U.S. households) were food insecure at least some time during that year, up from 11.1 percent in 2007. 6.7 million households, or 5.7% were food insecure with hunger (up from 4.1% in 2007). Further, 22.5% of children were food insecure in 2008. These are the highest recorded prevalence rates of food insecurity since 1995 when the first national food security survey was conducted.
Food insecurity is defined as a condition of uncertain availability of or inability to acquire safe, nutritious food in socially acceptable ways. Broadly speaking, this corresponds to the condition of hunger or the risk of having hunger.
The United States Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity with hunger more specifically as: “Reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.”
Source: United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service
