Household Food Security in the United States, 2009

Food insecurity among U.S. households unchanged from 2008 to 2009

The percentage of U.S. households that were food insecure had increased sharply in 2008 as the recession deepened but remained essentially unchanged in 2009, at 14.7 percent. The 2008 and 2009 levels are the highest recorded since national monitoring of food security began in 1995.

Food-secure households are those with consistent access throughout the year to adequate food for active healthy living for all household members. Food-insecure households lack that level of access at some time during the year.

What's Available:

	Report contents: Links to report summary and entire report Tables: • Households, individuals, and children, by household food security status • Food security status and household characteristics • Household food security status by state
	Media resources: • Key findings of Household Food Security report • Questions asked in the Household Food Security survey • Getting it right: avoiding common misinterpretations of the data
	"More Americans Relied on Food Assistance During Recession," Amber Waves, Dec. 2010
	Blog post by Kevin Concannon, USDA Under Secretary (Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services)
	News conference with Under Secretary Kevin Concannon and Dr. Mark Nord (audio: 30 minutes, 40 seconds)

For more information, see:

• Food Security in the United States Briefing Room
• Does SNAP Decrease Food Insecurity? Untangling the Self-Selection Effect
• Food Insecurity in Households with Children: Prevalence, Severity, and Household Characteristics
• Food Price Outlook and Food CPI Forecasts
• USDA Food and Nutrition Service: press release