Hunger in the United States reached its highest level in nearly a decade in 2023, with 18 million households, or 13.5% of the population, struggling to get enough food, according to a Department of Agriculture report.
This increase continues a rising trend in food insecurity that began in 2021.
The increase in hunger followed a period of improvement prior to the pandemic, but food insecurity has surged after the expiration of emergency food assistance programs.
U.S. Census Bureau data confirmed a growing struggle for many families to access adequate nutrition, exacerbated by rising food costs and the end of enhanced food aid programs that had been in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A total of one million more households were food insecure in 2023 compared to the previous year, the USDA report showed.
Additionally, 6.8 million households experienced very low food security, meaning members of the household had to significantly alter their diets due to a lack of resources to buy enough food.
Anti-hunger advocates, like Feeding America, have raised concerns about the financial strain on families trying to meet their basic food needs.
In May, the organization reported a $33.1 billion gap between what Americans need for food and what they can afford. This shortfall is partly attributed to the rising cost of groceries.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack laid part of the blame on Congress, pointing to the failure to expand the child tax credit and the addition of stricter work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the country’s largest food assistance program.
“For anyone to go hungry in America is unacceptable,” Vilsack said.
Anti-hunger groups have repeatedly called for increased federal assistance, arguing that expanding programs like the child tax credit and SNAP would significantly reduce food insecurity.
“Reducing and eliminating hunger in America will not happen overnight,” said Eric Mitchell, president of the Alliance to End Hunger. “But the policies necessary to do so are not a mystery.”
As hunger continues to rise across the nation, advocates are pushing for renewed efforts to combat food insecurity, with hopes that Congress will take action to address the growing issue.