Final USDA Food Report Reveals Food Insecurity in America Remains High 

Washington, D.C., January 13, 2026 — Bread for the World issued the following statement regarding the release of the USDA Household Food Security in the United States in 2024 Report and the decision to terminate production of this annual report. The statement can be attributed to Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World. 

“For 30 years, USDA has released in-depth annual reports on the state of food security for families across the United States. This report has provided a firm foundation of data for lawmakers and advocates focused on eliminating hunger and food insecurity across the nation.  

“The latest report on 2024 data, released on December 30, reveals that hunger in America is not declining. In fact, 13.7% of all American households (18.3 million) faced food insecurity at least once, with 18.4% of households with children reporting difficulty putting food on the table. Additionally, 5.4% of households reported experiencing “very low” food security, reflecting severe difficulty accessing adequate food for the household. These figures indicate that food insecurity has risen by three percentage points over the last three years and remains at a 10-year high, well above pre-pandemic levels.  

“By cutting SNAP benefits and adding stricter work requirements at a time when food insecurity is so elevated and food prices continue to rise, a significant burden for food provision will be placed on state agencies, churches, and food banks that are under-resourced and not designed to meet the nutritional needs of their communities at this scale.  

“With the latest data highlighting the reality of hunger in the United States, Bread for the World continues to be concerned about the decision in September to terminate the production and release of all future Food Security Reports. While it is important to review the cost of producing reports against the value they lend to decision making, by ending the data collection and reporting around household food security, lawmakers, advocates, researchers and the public will be unable to see the impacts of legislation and programs designed to target food insecurity. While we welcome cutting areas of true waste, we are hopeful the significant service this report provides will cause the agency to reconsider its termination. 

“Accurate, consistent data allows our nation to see hunger clearly, respond compassionately and effectively, and hold ourselves accountable to the well-being of our neighbors. We urge this Administration and Congress to work together to reinstate the USDA Household Food Security Report to provide essential, accurate data on one of the most basic needs of its constituency: hunger.”