Hunger Facts
and Figures
By the numbers
Hunger doesn’t look the same everywhere. The issue of hunger is nuanced, and many different factors affect food security in the United States and around the world. But no matter where a child lives, hunger feels the same. In April 2020, as families began to struggle with the impact of COVID-19, the percentage of food-insecure households was estimated to be between 22-38%. In contrast, in 2016 only 12.3% of households were food insecure.
IN THE UNITED STATES
18%
of children under 18 years
of age live in poverty.
To put it in perspective, that’s
1 in 5
children who live in poverty
Food Insecure Households
In April 2020, as families began to struggle with the impact of COVID-19, the percentage of food-insecure households was estimated to be between 22-38%. In contrast, in 2016 only 12.3% of households were food insecure.
Food Stamps
As of 2018, 11.3% of families in the U.S. relied on SNAP to make ends meet. Nearly half of those households (46.8%) already live below the poverty line. And food stamps don’t go very far. According to data from the Food and Nutrition Service, average monthly household SNAP benefit in fiscal year 2018 was $251.That works out to just over $8 per day.
SNAP benefits can be used to buy groceries, seeds, and plants to grow food, but they cannot be used for vitamins, medicine, prepared or heated food, diapers, cleaning supplies, hygiene items, or toilet paper.
3 out of 4
students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches
under the National School Lunch Program.
25
%
of all public schools in 2017-2018
were high-poverty schools.
AROUND THE WORLD
1.2
BILLION
in developing countries live in extreme
poverty, existing on less than $1.25 U.S. per day.
1.1
BILLION
PEOPLE
in developing countries lack adequate access to water.
2.6
BILLION
PEOPLE
lack basic sanitation.
1 in 9
PEOPLE SUFFER FROM HUNGER
THAT'S OVER
820 MILLION
PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.
5 MILLION CHILDREN
under the age of 5 die of
malnutrition-related causes every year.
Malnutrition is the single largest
contributor to disease in the world.