National food insecurity continued to decline in 2017, according to a new report from the Department of Agriculture, and now affects 11.8 percent of U.S. households, down from 12.3 percent in 2016. The percentage of households experiencing very low food security also declined in 2017. Although food insecurity has not yet returned to pre-recession levels, it has fallen steadily from its peak of 14.9 percent in 2011.
The USDA defines food-insecure households as households that “had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all their members due to a lack of resources.” About 15 million U.S. households were food insecure in 2017. Households with very low food security are defined as households in which “the food intake of some household members was reduced and normal eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year due to limited resources.” Some 5.8 million U.S. households, or about 4.5 percent, experienced very low food security in 2017.
The report found that some groups face food insecurity at rates higher than the national average, including black- and Hispanic-headed households; households with children, especially those headed by a single woman or single man; and households with incomes near or below the poverty line. About 58 percent of food-insecure households reported participating in one or more federal nutrition programs in the prior month.
The USDA publishes a report on food insecurity each year. This year’s report was issued on the same day as the first meeting of farm bill conferees, whose biggest obstacle in passing a farm bill is negotiating work requirements for food assistance programs.