Food Insecurity Remained High in 2025, As Safety Net Cuts Loom

Posted by Urban Institute on March 31, 2026

Using its Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey, the Urban Institute has found that in December 2025, nearly 1 in 4 (24.2 percent) adults ages 18 and older reported experiencing household food insecurity in the last 12 months. Working-age adults were more than twice as likely to report food insecurity as those ages 65 and older, though previous studies have found there are wide disparities within the senior population. Household food insecurity among working-age adults has been significantly elevated since 2023 and remained high in 2025 at 27.7 percent. Nearly one-third of working-age adults living with children (32.0 percent) reported experiencing food insecurity in 2025. Among these households, approximately half reported very low food security—a severe form of food insecurity in which household members may skip meals or go without food for an entire day.

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