(CNBC) – Over the last seven months, the coronavirus pandemic has dramatically affected millions of Americans’ ability to afford the basics, including food.
About 10% of Americans, 22.3 million, reported they sometimes or often didn’t have enough to eat within the past week, according to the latest Household Pulse Survey fielded between August 19 and 31, 2020 and released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
he current rate of food insecurity, which is when you don’t have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable food, is several times higher than reported last year. Only about 3.7% of Americans reported they sometimes or often did not have enough to eat throughout 2019, according to a new USDA report also released Wednesday.
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While the comparison is not quite “apples to apples” because the USDA is asking about the last year and the Pulse Survey is asking about the past seven days, it is worth noting the increase in overall food insecurity, says Joseph Llobrera, director of research for the food assistance team at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.