REPORT: Food Insecurity Shot Up Last Year With Inflation And The End Of Pandemic-Era Aid
October 25, 2023 3:22PM PDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — An estimated 17 million households reported problems finding enough food last year.
That’s a sharp jump from 2021 when boosted government aid helped ease the pandemic-induced economic shutdown.
A new Department of Agriculture report released Wednesday paints a sobering picture of post-pandemic hardship with “statistically significant” increases in food insecurity.
According to the survey, 12.8% reported occasional problems affording enough food — up from 10.2% in 2021 and 10.5% in 2020.
Analysts and food security professionals point to the dual impact last year of high inflation and the gradual expiration of multiple pandemic-era government assistance measures.
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