Hunger Facts-Domestic Facts

• Over 35 million people in America faced hunger in 2006.*
• Nearly 12 million children experienced food insecurity
  in 2006.*
• The national poverty rate in 2006 was over 12%.*
• In 2007, 26.5 million people used food stamps each month.*
• Over 30% of single mothers and their children were food
  insecure in 2006.*
• The 2007 U.S. Conference of Mayor's Hunger and Homelessness Survey states that the main causes of hunger in survey cities were poverty, unemployment and high housing costs. Also, 80% of the survey cities reported that requests for emergency food assistance increased since 2006.
• The USDA reports that rates of food insecurity are substantially higher for single mothers and their children, Black families, Hispanic families, and those who live below the federal poverty line. The USDA states that nearly 22% of African-American and nearly 20% of Hispanic households experienced food insecurity in 2006.
• USDA statistics show that over 850,000 households in non-metropolitan areas experienced hunger in 2006. Nearly 15% of the total households served by the America’s Second Harvest Network reside in rural areas.
• According to recent research from Cornell University and the University of California-Davis, poor women may be more prone to obesity due to their habit of periodically going without food in order for their children to eat. Also, many low-income families can only afford to purchase high-calorie, processed foods because they are less expensive (such as fast food "value meals.") Many poor urban neighborhoods lack access to grocery stores that provide nutritious foods, while these areas also may not have access to safe areas for physical activity.

*usda.gov statistics