Senior Hunger Research

Food Insecurity Among Seniors and Older Adults in 2022

On July 17, 2024, Feeding America released new estimates of food insecurity based on the most current data available (2022) for seniors age 60 and older and for adults age 50-59 (referred to as older adults). This release marks the tenth year overall that Feeding America has released national and state level data about the aging population.

Key Findings

1 in 11 seniors age 60 and older, or 8.7% of the senior population, were food insecure in 2022

The size of the senior population is approximately 79 million and 8.7%, or 6.9 million, experienced food insecurity. Consistent with reports from the USDA about food insecurity rising in 2022 for most populations, this represents an increase for seniors compared to 2021.

1 in 8 adults age 50 to 59, or 11.9% of the older adult population, were food insecure in 2022

There are approximately 41 million adults age 50-59 in the U.S. and 11.9%, or 4.9 million, were food insecure in 2022. Consistent with reports from the USDA about food insecurity rising in 2022 for most populations, this represents an increase for this age cohort compared to 2021.

Every state is home to seniors and older adults who experience food insecurity 

In 2022, state-level food insecurity rates for seniors ranged from a high of 14.0% in Louisiana to a low of 3.0% in North Dakota. For older adults, state-level food insecurity rates ranged from 18.6% in Arkansas to 4.4% in North Dakota.

The majority of states with the highest food insecurity rates in 2022 for seniors and older adults are located in the South

Of the ten states with the highest rates of senior hunger, nine are located in the South, with Louisiana having the highest food insecurity rate (14.0%). For older adults, seven of the ten states with the highest rates of food insecurity are in the South, with Arkansas having the highest rate (18.6%).

More than 9 million seniors may be food insecure by 2050

By 2050, it is projected that the senior population will comprise around 104 million people age 60 and older. If the current rate of food insecurity among seniors does not change, this would equate to more than 9 million seniors experiencing food insecurity. With food insecurity impacting a variety of factors such as health and nutrition, and as the senior population continues to grow in size, food insecurity is likely to remain a public health challenge for years to come.

Multigenerational households are more than twice as likely to experience food insecurity

While this type of household structure can yield many positive benefits, seniors and older adults who have a grandchild in the household experience food insecurity at higher rates than those without a grandchild present. In 2022, food insecurity was 2.2 times as high for seniors residing with a grandchild (18.1% vs. 8.3%) and 2.3 times as high for older adults residing with a grandchild (25.6% vs. 11.3%). In households with limited economic resources, children are often shielded from food insecurity by adults, so seniors and older adults may ensure the food security of their grandchildren at the expense of their own dietary needs as they deal with the stress of caregiving responsibilities and stretch already-limited financial resources.

Communities of color experience disproportionate levels of food insecurity

Across the age spectrum, food insecurity is experienced at disproportionate rates by many communities of color due to the continued impact of systemic racism and discrimination. Seniors and older adults are no exception. In 2022, food insecurity among Black, non-Hispanic seniors (17.2%) and Latino seniors (17.6%) was more than 2.7 times as high as for white, non-Hispanic seniors (6.3%). Food insecurity among Black, non-Hispanic (19.5%) older adults and Latino older adults (19.0%) was more than 2 times as high as for white, non-Hispanic older adults (9.3%).

For both age groups, food insecurity estimates are not available separately for Asian American, Pacific Islander, Native American, and people who identify as multi-racial. However, other work has found food insecurity to be disproportionately high among some of these populations, especially Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and some Asian subgroups.

Disability is strongly associated with food insecurity among aging adults

Food insecurity has negative effects for individuals across the age spectrum. For seniors and older adults, these effects can be particularly problematic given the unique health, economic, mobility and nutritional challenges that can come with aging.

Having a disability is strongly associated with food insecurity. Seniors with a disability had food insecurity rates over twice as high as seniors without disabilities (15.3% compared to 6.5%). For older adults, the disparity is even greater. Older adults with disabilities had food insecurity rates more than three times as high as older adults without disabilities (31.2% compared to 9.3%).