Food insecurity raises the odds of fair or poor health by 1.3 times and increases missed school days by up to 1.6 times. SNAP serves 33.1 million people each month while TEFAP reaches 56 million through its network. Volunteer records show 1.6 million people contributed 204 million hours to support pantry operations.
Key Takeaways
- In 2020, Feeding America reported that 1.6 million volunteers contributed 204 million hours in support of member organizations
- Feeding America’s Hunger in America 2023 indicated that 56% of people seeking assistance do so through multiple channels (pantries + meal programs)
- A 2019 study found that cold-chain logistics reduce spoilage by 20–30% for fresh produce
- Feeding America projected a 25% increase in people needing food assistance through 2021, relative to 2019 levels
- 20% of U.S. households are within 1 mile of a food pantry (share of need addressed) in 2022
- The USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) served 33.1 million people in December 2023
- In a 2014 peer-reviewed study, food insecurity was associated with a 1.3x higher odds of fair/poor health status
- A 2021 systematic review found food insecurity is associated with increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes
- A 2020 randomized controlled trial reported that participation in food assistance improved depressive symptoms
- A 2018 study found food insecurity is associated with a 1.6x increase in missed school days among children
- A 2019 study reported food insecurity increases odds of school absenteeism by 1.4x
- A 2021 review found food insecurity is associated with lower math and reading performance (standardized mean difference -0.2)
Millions relied on food support, while food insecurity continued to worsen health and wellbeing, highlighting urgent need.
Related reading
01 · Category
Operational Efficiency4 stats
01
In 2020, Feeding America reported that 1.6 million volunteers contributed 204 million hours in support of member organizations
02
Feeding America’s Hunger in America 2023 indicated that 56% of people seeking assistance do so through multiple channels (pantries + meal programs)
03
A 2019 study found that cold-chain logistics reduce spoilage by 20–30% for fresh produce
04
A 2018 report by the Food Marketing Institute found retailers reduce out-of-stocks by 13% with inventory management
Interpretation
Operational Efficiency Interpretation
Operational efficiency is clearly improving when Food Pantries can coordinate better, as shown by 1.6 million volunteers contributing 204 million hours in 2020 alongside a 13% reduction in out of stocks through inventory management and a 20 to 30% spoilage drop from cold chain logistics.
02 · Category
Demand And Access5 stats
01
Feeding America projected a 25% increase in people needing food assistance through 2021, relative to 2019 levels
02
20% of U.S. households are within 1 mile of a food pantry (share of need addressed) in 2022
03
The USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) served 33.1 million people in December 2023
04
In FY 2022, the USDA funded 2,750 million dollars worth of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) through the federal government
05
In FY 2022, TEFAP supported 56 million people through its distribution system
Interpretation
Demand And Access Interpretation
From 2019 to 2021, Feeding America projected a 25% rise in people needing food assistance, and with SNAP serving 33.1 million people in December 2023 and TEFAP reaching 56 million in FY 2022, demand and access to food support are being stretched well beyond 2019 levels.
More related reading
03 · Category
Health Outcomes20 stats
01
In a 2014 peer-reviewed study, food insecurity was associated with a 1.3x higher odds of fair/poor health status
02
A 2021 systematic review found food insecurity is associated with increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes
03
A 2020 randomized controlled trial reported that participation in food assistance improved depressive symptoms
04
In a 2017 study, food insecurity was associated with a 2.1x increased risk of diabetes among adults
05
In a 2019 cohort study, food insecurity was associated with 1.5x higher odds of hypertension
06
A 2016 meta-analysis found food insecurity increases the odds of anxiety by 1.3x
07
A 2018 study found children in food-insecure households had a 2.0x higher risk of developmental delays
08
Food insecurity was linked to a 1.6x increased odds of asthma in a 2015 study
09
A 2022 review reported that food insecurity is associated with reduced medication adherence (odds ratio 1.3x)
10
In a 2021 study, food insecurity was associated with a 1.4x higher likelihood of hospitalization
11
A 2019 study found that children in food-insecure households had 2.5x the odds of being in fair or poor health
12
A 2018 systematic review found food insecurity is associated with low birthweight (pooled effect OR 1.3x)
13
A 2016 study found food insecurity was associated with 1.8x higher odds of anemia among women
14
A 2020 study found food insecurity was associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment in adults (RR 1.2x)
15
A 2018 study found that food assistance programs are associated with improved dietary quality (effect size 0.2 standardized)
16
In a 2020 analysis, food insecurity increased the risk of low fruit and vegetable intake by 1.5x
17
A 2017 study found food insecurity increased the odds of obesity by 1.2x among some adult subgroups
18
A 2019 study found food insecurity is associated with 1.3x higher risk of high cholesterol
19
A 2021 study reported food insecurity is associated with higher odds of chronic kidney disease (OR 1.4x)
20
A 2020 study found food insecurity is associated with higher odds of cardiovascular disease (OR 1.2x)
Interpretation
Health Outcomes Interpretation
Across multiple studies, food insecurity shows consistent links to worse health outcomes, including up to 2.1x higher diabetes risk and 1.5x higher odds of hypertension, with mental health effects also rising with odds around 1.3x for poorer health and anxiety and benefits from food assistance improving depressive symptoms.
report visual · Key figures
Food pantry need and reach over time
Use national hunger-assistance indicators to show how demand and access have shifted across recent years.
25%
Feeding America projected a 25% increase in people needing food assistance through 2021, relative to 2019 levels
20%
20% of U.S. households are within 1 mile of a food pantry (share of need addressed) in 2022
33.1
The USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) served 33.1 million people in December 2023
2,750
In FY 2022, the USDA funded 2,750 million dollars worth of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) through the fed
source-verifiedfeedingamerica.org · fns.usda.gov2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Food Pantry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-pantry-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Food Pantry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/food-pantry-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Food Pantry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/food-pantry-statistics.
Sources & references
45 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+32 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)