NY Fed Finds 10% of US Households Faced Food Insecurity as Lower-Income Strains Deepen
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 27
NY Fed Finds 10% of US Households Faced Food Insecurity as Lower-Income Strains Deepen
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 27
New York Fed researchers said food-related hardship rose meaningfully between October 2025 and February 2026, hitting lower-income, lower-educated households and families with children hardest.
Survey responses tied that increase to worsening consumer sentiment among poorer households, including a sharp drop in job-finding expectations even as broader economic data remained relatively solid.
The bank said households increasingly reported using savings for expenses, struggling to find enough food, skipping meals, or relying on public and private food assistance.
High living costs, persistent inflation, elevated interest rates and fading government support are widening a K-shaped split in which wealthier Americans benefit from asset gains while poorer households face mounting financial stress.
As household debt hits a 15-year high amid a stock boom, is the US economy dangerously splitting in two?
With the government halting food insecurity data, how will the nation address a crisis it will no longer officially measure?
As aid systems fail to meet rising needs, what innovations can bridge the gap between available benefits and hungry families?
Hunger on the Rise: The Alarming Surge in U.S. Food Insecurity (2022–2026) and Its Drivers, Disparities, and Policy Responses
Overview
Food insecurity in the U.S. has risen sharply, with the rate jumping from 10.4% in 2021 to 13.5% in 2022—the largest one-year increase since 2008 and the highest since 2014. This surge means over 44 million Americans, or about 1 in 7, struggled to get enough food. The situation is made worse by the Administration’s decision to stop collecting food insecurity data, making it harder to track the impact of recent policy changes. Notably, a major Republican bill in July 2025 cut food assistance programs, further threatening access to food for millions.