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How Many People Starve To Death In America (39 Food Insecurity Statistics)

How Many People Starve To Death In America - Food Insecurity In America

How many people starve to death in America? 

In this article, you’ll learn about:

  • how many people starve to death
  • how many kids are starving
  • how many people are starving
  • the number of households dealing with starvation
  • the cities with the highest levels of starvation
  • the levels of starvation in the largest cities in America

Let’s dig in. 

Table of Contents

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American Starvation Statistics

  • 13,690 people starve to death in America per year. 
  • 10.2% (13.5M) of households are food insecure in the US. 
  • 33.8M people experience food insecurity every day. 
  • 5.0M children experience food insecurity every day. 
  • 15.8% of children in the US live in households that are food insecure.
  • 1 in 6 children may not know where their next meal is coming from.
  • 53M people are on food programs (i.e., SNAP, WIC, NSLP, etc.). 
  • 4.2M Americans used SNAP (food stamps) benefits last year.
  • 20% of food-insecure families are not eligible for government assistance.
  • 2.8M low-income Americans said they’ve gone without food for at least one day in the last year.
  • 22.5% of Black households have food insecurity. 
  • 18.5% of Latinx/Hispanic households have food insecurity.
  • 7.9% of White households experience food insecurity.
  • 6.5 million kids live in households that cannot consistently afford enough food.
  • 18.2% of seniors living alone in the US are food insecure.
  • 6M senior citizens in the US are food insecure. 
  • 1 out of 6 Americans lived in a household that was food insecure.
  • 8.4% of the US population experienced food insecurity last year.
  • 8M Americans are at risk of hunger due to poverty and lack of access to food.

How Many People Starve To Death In America

13,690 people starve to death in America per year.

For every 1,000 people experiencing food insecurity, 0.37 die from starvation. 

In America, 37M people experience food insecurity every day (per the CDC). 

Now, we want to see how many people starve to death in America. 

We know that:

  • 37M people experience food insecurity each day in America
  • 0.37 out of every 1,000 people experiencing food insecurity dies

To calculate how many people starve to death in America, we use this equation:

37M food insecure people x (0.37 people dying / 1,000 food insecure people)

= 13,690 people starve to death in America per year

It’s important to note that this is an estimate.

The actual number of deaths from starvation in America may be different.

Note that the CDC reports causes of death lists each year. 

Last year, the “All Other Causes” category had 584,359 deaths unaccounted for. 

It’s not unreasonable that 13,690 people could be starving to death in America. 

What Is Food Insecurity?

Food insecurity is a lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy life. 

It means that individuals or families don’t have access to enough food. 

This is due to:

  • limited financial resources
  • living in a food desert
  • having no access to grocery stores
  • lack of transportation

Food insecurity can range from mild to severe and can be temporary or chronic. 

It can affect people of all ages and backgrounds. 

But is particularly prevalent among:

  • low-income households
  • households with children
  • households headed by single women

Food Insecurity In America

Food insecurity is a significant problem in the United States. 

It affects millions of individuals and families across the country. 

Per the USDA, 34M Americans experienced food insecurity last year. 

This means that they did not have access to enough food for an active, healthy life.

  • 1 in 8 Americans, or 12.7% of the population, live in households that are food insecure.
  • Children are particularly affected by food insecurity. 10.5% of households with children are food insecure. 13.6 million children live in food-insecure households.
  • Food insecurity rates are higher among certain groups. This includes households with children headed by single women, households with Black and Hispanic-headed households, and households with incomes below the poverty line.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in food insecurity rates. An estimated 45M people experiencing food insecurity, including 15M children.

Food insecurity can have serious health consequences, including:

  • malnutrition (i.e., weakened immune system, stunted growth, and anemia)
  • chronic diseases (i.e., diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease)
  • mental health (i.e., depression and anxiety)
  • obesity (i.e., reliance on high-calorie, low-nutrient foods)

How Many People Are Food Insecure In America?

Per the CDC and USDA, 33.8M experience food insecurity in America. 

They also say that 11.1% (14.3M) of households experience food insecurity daily.

How Many People Are Starving In America?

13.25M people are starving in America. 

The USDA classifies “starving” as “very low food security.”

Their data shows that 4.6% (5.3M) of households have “very low food security.”

Per the U.S. Census, the average household size in the US is ~2.5 people.

Meaning that 5.3M households are equal to 13.25M people. 

So, 13.25M people are starving in America.

Starvation In The US

3.9% of people are starving in the US. 

The current population is 331.9M people. 

There are 13.25M people starving in America. 

That’s 3.9% of the population that is starving. 

Or at “very low food security.”

Hunger Statistics In America

Here are some hunger statistics in America:

  • In 2020, an estimated 35.2M people (10.5M children) were food insecure, according to the USDA.
  • Food insecurity rates are highest among households with children. Last year, 13.8% of households with children experienced food insecurity. While 7.7% of households without children had food insecurity.
  • Food insecurity disproportionately affects households with low incomes and people of color. 22.5% of Black households and 18.5% of Hispanic households experience food insecurity. Only 7.9% of White households experience food insecurity.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity in the US. Per Feeding America, 42M people (13M children) experienced food insecurity during the pandemic.
  • Food insecurity can have significant health consequences. People who are food insecure are more likely to experience chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. As well as mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Food Insecurity In America’s Top Cities

Here is a list of:

  • America’s top cities
  • the number of people with food insecurities in those cities
CityPopulationFood Insecurity RateFood Insecure Population
New York City, NY8,804,19011.6%1,020,825
Los Angeles, CA3,898,74717.7%689,038
Chicago, IL2,693,97614.1%380,213
Houston, TX2,320,26816.6%385,156
Phoenix, AZ1,733,91414.8%256,693
Philadelphia, PA1,575,37718.7%294,409
San Antonio, TX1,496,64215.8%236,546
San Diego, CA1,423,85113.8%196,678
Dallas, TX1,347,12016.9%227,853
San Jose, CA1,033,51910.5%108,519

Cities With The Highest Food Insecurities

Here is a list of:

  • America’s most food insecure cities
  • the number of people with food insecurities in those cities
  • the food insecurity rates in those cities
CityPopulationFood Insecurity RateFood Insecure Population
Fresno, California527,43827.5%145,295
Bakersfield, California384,14525.1%96,414
Montgomery, Alabama201,33223.7%47,768
Tucson, Arizona548,07323.6%129,386
Modesto, California211,26623.4%49,462
Jackson, Mississippi170,39323.1%39,328
Visalia, California130,75322.9%29,936
Macon, Georgia153,15922.3%34,121
San Antonio, Texas1,532,23322.2%340,155
Augusta, Georgia197,35021.8%43,031

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