On an average day, what portion of U.S. households with children have at least one child who experiences hunger?
Correct Answer
Per the latest data from the USDA, 0.14% or less than one out of every 700 U.S. households with children have any child who experiences hunger on an average day. This includes children who are hungry due to poverty, not those who skip meals because they are late for school, don't feel like eating, or are trying to lose weight. People who claim that child hunger is far more common than this often falsely equate the term "food insecurity" with "hunger." As the USDA explains, "low food security" means "reports of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet" but "little or no indication of reduced food intake." Prior to 2006, the USDA's label for such households explicitly reflected this fact and was called "food insecurity without hunger."
DocumentationUSDA DataHunger FictionsFood Insecurity