Child Food Insufficiency

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service monitors the annual prevalence of food insecurity in U.S. households with data from the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement. Food insecurity means that households were, at times, unable to acquire adequate food for one or more household members because the households had insufficient money and other resources for food.

Food insufficiency is a simpler measure of whether or not there was enough to eat in the last 7 days. It is related to food insecurity but is often considered to be a more severe form as households that suffer from food insufficiency are likely to also have very low food security. Food insufficiency has been measured during the COVID-19 pandemic with the use of the Household Pulse Survey.4 Child food insufficiency means a household's children were not eating enough food sometimes or often in the last 7 days because the household could not afford enough food. Food insufficiency is related to children's health and well-being. Studies have shown that food insecurity contributes to poorer physical and mental health and developmental outcomes and is negatively associated with education outcomes.5

Figure 2: Prevalence of child food insufficiency in households with children, August 19, 2020–October 11, 2021
Prevalence of child food insufficiency in households with children, August 19, 2020–October 11, 2021

NOTE: Dates shown are the last day of each Household Pulse Survey (HPS) 13-day data collection period. Adult respondents were asked to indicate whether this statement was often true, sometimes true, or never true in the last 7 days for the children living in the household who are under age 18: "The children were not eating enough because we just couldn't afford enough food." Responses of "often true" indicate very low food sufficiency, and "sometimes true" indicates low food sufficiency, while "never true" indicates food sufficient. Child food insufficiency includes low and very low food sufficiency. The child food insufficiency question was not included in the HPS data collection until week 6; therefore, the above figure presents data for Phase 2 through Phase 3.2. These phases encompass four data collection periods from August 19, 2020, to October 11, 2021. Data were not collected during December 22, 2020–January 5, 2021, March 30–April 13, 2021, and July 6–20, 2021.

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey. Tabulated by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.

  • As of mid-October 2021, the prevalence of child food insufficiency (low and very low food sufficiency) was 13%, meaning 13% of households with children reported that children in the household sometimes or often did not have enough to eat in the last 7 days. The prevalence of very low child food sufficiency was 2%, meaning 2% of households with children reported that children often did not have enough to eat in the same time period.
  • The prevalence rates of child food sufficiency varied across the pandemic. Child food insufficiency peaked at 17% in December 2020, meaning 17% of households with children reported that children in the household sometimes or often did not have enough to eat in the last 7 days. Child food insufficiency decreased to 11% in mid-August 2021, the lowest prevalence rate reported during 2020 and 2021.
  • Very low child food sufficiency followed a similar pattern. The prevalence of very low food sufficiency peaked at 4% in November and December 2020, meaning that 4% of households with children reported that their children often did not have enough to eat in the last 7 days. Very low child food sufficiency decreased to a low of 2% in mid-August 2021.

Figure 3. Prevalence of child food insufficiency in households with children by race and Hispanic origin, August 19, 2020–October 11, 2021
Prevalence of child food insufficiency in households with children by race and Hispanic origin, August 19, 2020–October 11, 2021

NOTE: Dates shown are the last day of each Household Pulse Survey (HPS) 13-day data collection period. Adult respondents were asked to indicate whether this statement was often true, sometimes true, or never true in the last 7 days for the children living in the household who are under age 18: "The children were not eating enough because we just couldn't afford enough food." Responses of "often true" indicate very low food sufficiency, and "sometimes true" indicates low food sufficiency, while "never true" indicates food sufficient. Child food insufficiency includes low and very low food sufficiency. The child food insufficiency question was not included in the HPS data collection until week 6; therefore, the above figure presents data for Phase 2 through Phase 3.2. These phases encompass four data collection periods from August 19, 2020, to October 11, 2021. Data were not collected during December 22, 2020–January 5, 2021, March 30–April 13, 2021, and July 6–20, 2021. The revised 1997 U.S. Office of Management and Budget standards on race and ethnicity were used to classify persons into one of the following five racial groups: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Those reporting more than one race were classified as "Two or more races." Data on race and Hispanic origin are collected separately. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. Included as "Other, non-Hispanic" but not shown separately are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and "Two or more races," due to the small sample size.

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey. Tabulated by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.

  • In mid-October 2021, child food insufficiency affected 23% of Black, non-Hispanic households, 19% of Hispanic households, and 17% of Other, non-Hispanic households—compared with 8% of White, non-Hispanic households and 10% of Asian, non-Hispanic households.
  • Black, non-Hispanic and Hispanic households experienced higher rates of child food insufficiency as compared to All Households with Children for all survey periods in 2020 and 2021. White, non-Hispanic households experienced lower prevalence rates of child food insufficiency than All Households with Children in all survey periods in 2020 and 2021.
  • Other, non-Hispanic and Asian, non-Hispanic households were not consistently above or below the prevalence rates for All Households with Children.

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4 The Household Pulse Survey (HPS) includes an indicator of child food insufficiency for U.S. households, defined as follows: Child food insufficiency means a household's children were not eating enough food sometimes or often in the last 7 days because the household could not afford enough food (based on a self-report to a single item). Low food sufficiency among children means a child did not have enough to eat sometimes in the last 7 days. Very low food sufficiency among children means a child did not have enough to eat often in the last 7 days. The food-sufficiency item in the HPS asks about the food eaten in the household in the last 7 days to assess rapid changes in food sufficiency. Household adults are asked the following: "In the last 7 days, which of these statements best describes the food eaten in your household? Select only one answer. (1) Enough of the kinds of food (I/we) wanted to eat; (2) Enough, but not always the kinds of food (I/we) wanted to eat; (3) Sometimes not enough to eat; (4) Often not enough to eat." Adults who select (1) are classified as living in households with full food sufficiency, while those who select (2) are classified as living in households with marginal food sufficiency. Those who select (3) or (4) are counted as having low and very low food sufficiency, respectively. Those who respond with (3) or (4) are classified as food insufficient, which means that a household did not have enough to eat in the last 7 days. Adults who select (2), (3), or (4) and have children under age 18 living in the household are then asked to indicate whether the next statement was often true, sometimes true, or never true in the last 7 days for the children living in the household who are under age 18: "The children were not eating enough because we just couldn't afford enough food. (1) Often true; (2) Sometimes true; (3) Never true." Adults who respond with (1) are classified as having children with full food sufficiency. Adults who select (2) are classified as having children with low food sufficiency, while those who select (3) are classified as having children with very low food sufficiency. Food insufficiency includes both low and very low food sufficiency. Data from the HPS and other sources are not entirely comparable. As such, there is not a directly comparable measure of food insufficiency prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Technical information about how food insufficiency is measured in the HPS can be found at https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/.

5 Coleman-Jensen, A., McFall, W., & Nord, M. (2013). Food insecurity in households with children: Prevalence, severity, and household characteristics, 2010-11(EIB-113). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=43765

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