Household Food Security in the United States in 2015

Abstract

An estimated 87.3 percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year in 2015, meaning that they had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The remaining households (12.7 percent) were food inse - cure at least some time during the year, including 5.0 percent with very low food security, meaning that the food intake of one or more household members was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year because the household lacked money and other resources for food. Declines from 2014 in food insecurity overall and in very low food security were statistically significant. The prevalence rate of food insecurity overall declined from 14.0 percent in 2014, and very low food security declined from 5.6 percent in 2014. Food insecurity among children and very low food security among children also declined significantly from 2014. Children and adults were food insecure in 7.8 percent of households with children in 2015, down from 9.4 percent in 2014. Very low food security among children was 0.7 percent in 2015, down from 1.1 percent in 2014. In 2015, the typical food-secure household spent 27 percent more on food than the typical food-insecure house - hold of the same size and household composition. About 59 percent of food-insecure house - holds participated in one or more of the three largest Federal food and nutrition assistance programs during the month prior to the 2015 survey.