Some American households experience food insecurity at times during the year.
Most U.S. households have consistent, dependable access to enough food for active, healthy living—they are food secure. But, some American households experience food insecurity at times during the year, meaning their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources. USDA’s food and nutrition assistance programs increase food security by providing low-income households access to food, a healthful diet and nutrition education. USDA monitors the extent and severity of food insecurity in U.S. households through an annual, nationally representative survey sponsored and analyzed by USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS). This report, “Household Food Security in the United States in 2015,” presents statistics from the survey covering households’ food security, food expenditures and use of federal food and nutrition assistance programs in 2015.