The Trump administration is ending the USDA’s annual hunger survey, a data-rich program tracking food insecurity across the country every year since 1995.
Policymakers, non-profits and anti-poverty advocates say that will make it harder to identify and address food insecurity at the national, state and local levels.
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For anyone struggling to pay for food, the decision hits very close to home.
“Hunger will not disappear simply because it is no longer tracked,” said Eric Mitchell, president of the Alliance to End Hunger, in response to the news.
As the Wall Street Journal reports, the plan to kill the survey was announced following changes in Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” to cut 3 million people off food assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). (1)
Trump’s Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins described the annual surveys as “subjective, liberal fodder” used to increase spending on programs like SNAP.
In place of the surveys, the administration said the USDA will use “timely and accurate data sets” as necessary, without revealing what data sets those might be.
Here’s what the surveys have revealed about food insecurity in 21st-century America — and what to do if you are among those Americans finding it hard to pay your food bills.
Tracking hunger and its link to the economy
It is the longest-standing study of its kind in the U.S.
For 30 years, the Annual Food Security Supplement to the Current Population Survey has been produced by the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) in partnership with the Census Bureau.
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The year-over-year data shows that food insecurity in the U.S. has risen in the past two decades.
It was steady at 11% from 2001 to 2008, jumped in the Great Recession and began falling until pandemic-related inflation caused it to jump to 13.5% by 2023. (2)
The 2024 survey has not been published yet. But with Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing “food at home” costs up 2.7% year over year in August 2025, it seems likely that food insecurity will continue to grow.
According to Feeding America, 47 million people — including 13 million children — experience hunger in the U.S. each year. [3] But food insecurity affects the larger population and the health of the U.S economy as well. While tough times contribute to hunger, research also suggests that hunger has a negative impact on GDP.
WorkLife Partnerships, which works with employers to provide employee support programs, encourages employers to help workers experiencing food insecurity. The company notes that hungry workers are more prone to chronic diseases like diabetes, struggle to focus at work and may miss work entirely. That impacts productivity. [4]
In contrast, supporting food security boosts productivity, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, which estimates that the SNAP benefits program increases national GDP by $1.54 billion annually by reducing food insecurity.
What to do about food insecurity close to home
Policymakers and non-profits may have to find new sources of data to track food insecurity, but those experiencing hunger may have to advocate more for themselves.
Government food programs
The government shutdown may affect some USDA food programs. USDA programs like SNAP, the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program will continue to operate, but the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) special supplemental nutrition program is at risk.
Funded annually by the federal government, WIC is operating on a $150-million contingency fund. If Congress does not pass the budget, the program may run out of funds. (3)
Families in need can check the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service website for information about available programs in their state.
If you need help finding local food banks, call 211 to speak with someone who can connect you to nearby pantries and the USDA National Hunger Hotline.
In the community and at the grocery store
While there is no question inflation is driving up the cost of many food items, particularly meat, some are coming down, for example, bread and uncooked poultry like turkey and whole chickens).
With a solid weekly meal plan based on low-cost staples and store promotions, households experiencing food insecurity can keep costs under control.
The USDA’s SNAP-Ed collection has step-by-step guides on meal planning, shopping, and budgeting that you can use even if you are not on SNAP.
Another option is the federal government’s MyPlate Shop Simple tool helps you find local savings by zip code and offers budget-friendly recipes that match your benefits and your store options.
If money is especially tight this week, the USDA’s “Eat Right When Money’s Tight” materials focus on stretching staples, comparing unit prices, and swapping lower-cost proteins like beans and eggs for pricier cuts of meat.
The annual hunger survey may be gone, but with more than one in 10 Americans experiencing food insecurity, the struggle to pay for food is not.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
Wall Street Journal (1); Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility (2); Feeding America (3); Worklife Partnerships (4); PBS News (5)
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