Household Food Security in the United States in 2018

by Alisha Coleman-Jensen, Matthew P. Rabbitt, Christian A. Gregory, and Anita Singh

An estimated 11.1 percent of U.S. households were food insecure at least some time during the year in 2018, meaning they lacked access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. That is down from 11.8 percent in 2017 and from a peak of 14.9 percent in 2011. The prevalence of very low food security was 4.3 percent in 2018.

See additional tables: Statistical Supplement to Household Food Security in the United States in 2018 (AP-081).

Keywords: Food security, food insecurity, food spending, food pantry, soup kitchen, emergency kitchen, material well-being, material hardship, hunger, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, Food Stamp Program, National School Lunch Program, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, WIC

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Report summary