Food insecurity measures hunger in degrees of food access and availability. This measurement provides a better understanding of how many people are hungry and at risk of experiencing hunger in the U.S.

What is Hunger?

Hun • ger n. – "the uneasy or painful sensation caused by recurrent or involuntary lack of food" that, over time, may result in malnutrition. When Americans think of hunger, images of starving children living in extreme poverty are the most prominent examples that come to mind. Yet, extreme hunger exists only in a few, isolated areas in the United States. However, millions of Americans still live in families that are at risk of experiencing food insecurity.

Facts about Food Security in the United States(Click on the links to learn more about
the definition of food security and how it is measured.):

• Hunger in the United States is measured in terms of food security .
• 31 million people in America are faced with food insecurity .
• 12 million American children are faced with food insecurity.
• 8 million people within this group face food insecurity with hunger.
• Female-headed households showed the highest levels of food insecurity and hunger,
  with 30% reporting food insecurity and one in twelve experiencing hunger.
• Black and Hispanic households had food insecurity and hunger prevalences three
  times those of White (non-Hispanic) households.

Text and most facts taken from Share Our Strength website.