Top 10 Hungriest States in the U.S. | Friends Committee On National Legislation (2024)

FAQs

Where is hunger most prevalent in the United States? ›

People experience food insecurity in every community.

However, people in rural communities and the South are often more likely to lack access to enough food.

2 Whereas overall food insecurity at the state level ranges from 7% in North Dakota to 19% in Mississippi, rates among children range from 10% in North Dakota to 24% in New Mexico.

The world's hungriest countries. Haiti, Mali, Sudan, South Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories are the countries with the highest levels of hunger.

Rural and urban communities

Rural counties experience high food insecurity rates twice as often as urban counties. It has been reported that approximately 3 million rural households are food insecure, which is equal to 15 percent of the total population of rural households.

Poverty. Poverty is the greatest cause of hunger around the world – in both higher-wealth and low- to middle-income countries. Most people who are hungry live in extreme poverty, defined as income of $2.15 per day or less.

Gulfport, Mississippi, topped the list for food insecurity. More than one-quarter of Gulfport residents live in poverty.

According to the Global Hunger Index 2023, which was adopted by the International Food Policy Research Institute, the Central African Republic was the most affected by hunger and malnutrition, with an index of 42.3.

Connecticut is the best state for raising happy, healthy children. ATLANTA, GA., June 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New research finds that Connecticut (1), Massachusetts (2), and New York (3) have the happiest and healthiest child populations, while Mississippi (50) and South Carolina (49) have the least.

In May 2024, Feeding America revealed that Texas has become the most food-insecure state in the country. Between 2020 and 2022, an average of 15.5% of households in our state reported lacking consistent access to healthy and affordable food. In North Texas, one in eight people, or 640,000 of our neighbors, face hunger.

Where does North Carolina rank in food insecurity? ›

According to the North Carolina Justice Center, North Carolina ranks 10th in the country in food insecurity. What does that mean? When a family is “food insecure,” it means that not every family member has access to healthy and nutritious food choices to support an active and healthy lifestyle.

Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bengal, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra account for the largest number of food insecure people in the country.

Why it matters: Ohio ranked third among our Midwestern neighbors for food insecurity in 2022 and 14th overall nationwide. Experts say rising prices, especially for food, are likely to blame.

In terms of geographical regions, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar have very high rates of under-nutrition. States with the lowest percentage of under-nutrition include Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur, Kerala, Punjab, and Goa, although the rate is still considerably higher than that of developed nations.

Which are the top 10 agriculture-producing States? The top 10 agriculture-producing States in terms of cash receipts in calendar year 2023 are (in descending order): California, Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas, Indiana, North Carolina, and Missouri.

The report ranked 182 cities on 28 economic indicators, including child poverty, food insecurity and inadequate kitchens. Detroit ranked as the neediest metropolis.

Food-insecure households include those with low food security and very low food security. 13.5 percent (18.0 million) of U.S. households were food insecure at some time during 2023. The 2023 prevalence of food insecurity was statistically significantly higher than the 12.8 percent (17.0 million) in 2022.