Just the Facts

Did You Know?

• Hunger in America
• A staggering 47.7 million Americans, including nearly 14 million children, lived in food-insecure households last year, according to the USDA. 
• The growing hunger crisis reflects deeper systemic issues—rising inflation, climate change, the rollback of post-pandemic relef, and a lack of living wages. 
• WhyHunger calls for bold action to address the root causes of hunger and advance policies that support sustainable agriculture, local food economies, universal basic income and initiatives led by the communities most affected. 
• Hunger doesn’t affect everyone equally. The systemic injustice at the root of hunger means that there is a disproportional impact on Black, Indigenous and other communities of color across the U.S.  
• Black and Latinx households experienced food insecurity at more than double the rate of white households in 2023. 
• Hunger in NYC
• 1 in 3 NYC families are struggling to make ends meet 
• 50% of NYC families are unable to afford the rising costs of food and rent. (Food Bank of NYC)
• An estimated 1.2 million New York City residents (or 14.6%)  were food insecure in 2022, according to the NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy. 
• 1 in 4 children across NYC are facing hunger