Child Hunger Statistics

Comprehensive data on child food insecurity, school meal programs, and hunger among children in America

Updated: January 2025

National Child Hunger Overview

13.5M

Food Insecure Children

14.3%

Child Food Insecurity Rate

29.6M

Children Receiving School Lunch

14.9M

Children Receiving School Breakfast

Key Facts About Child Hunger

Impact of Child Hunger
  • Children in food-insecure households are more likely to experience developmental delays
  • Food insecurity is linked to lower academic achievement and graduation rates
  • Hungry children are more prone to chronic health conditions like asthma and anemia
  • Food-insecure teens have higher rates of mental health issues
  • Missing meals affects concentration, behavior, and school attendance
School Meal Programs
  • National School Lunch Program: Operates in 95,000+ schools
  • School Breakfast Program: Provides 4.9 billion meals annually
  • Summer Food Service Program: Serves meals when school is out
  • Community Eligibility: Allows high-poverty schools to offer free meals to all students
  • Free/Reduced Price: Based on household income (≤185% federal poverty level)

Child Food Insecurity by State

Child food insecurity rates vary significantly across states. States with higher overall poverty rates typically see higher child hunger.

State Child Food Insecurity Rate Food Insecure Children Overall Food Insecurity Actions
Louisiana 24.8% 268,400 17.9% Find Food Banks
Mississippi 24.2% 156,200 17.4% Find Food Banks
Arkansas 23.6% 153,800 16.8% Find Food Banks
Oklahoma 23.1% 229,200 16.6% Find Food Banks
Alabama 22.9% 242,100 16.4% Find Food Banks
New Mexico 22.7% 102,300 16.4% Find Food Banks
Texas 22.3% 1,578,300 15.9% Find Food Banks
West Virginia 21.8% 72,400 16.3% Find Food Banks Report
South Carolina 21.4% 245,800 15.2% Find Food Banks
Kentucky 19.7% 197,800 14.8% Find Food Banks Report
Tennessee 19.3% 299,100 14.2% Find Food Banks Report
Ohio 18.4% 462,700 13.1% Find Food Banks Report
North Carolina 17.2% 404,100 12.4% Find Food Banks Report
Pennsylvania 16.4% 428,500 11.8% Find Food Banks Report
Virginia 14.1% 264,400 10.2% Find Food Banks Report
Data Source: Child food insecurity data from Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap 2024. Rates represent the percentage of children (ages 0-17) living in food-insecure households.

Child Food Insecurity Trends (2015-2025)

School Meal Program Participation

National School Lunch Program

29.6 Million

Children receiving school lunch daily

Program Breakdown:

  • Free meals: 20.1 million (68%)
  • Reduced-price meals: 2.4 million (8%)
  • Full-price meals: 7.1 million (24%)
School Breakfast Program

14.9 Million

Children receiving school breakfast daily

Program Breakdown:

  • Free meals: 11.7 million (79%)
  • Reduced-price meals: 0.9 million (6%)
  • Full-price meals: 2.3 million (15%)

Summer Meal Programs

When school is out, many children lose access to the nutritious meals they rely on during the school year. Summer meal programs help fill this gap.

  • Summer Food Service Program (SFSP): Serves meals at community sites like parks, libraries, and schools
  • Seamless Summer Option (SSO): Allows schools to continue feeding children during summer months
  • Summer EBT: Provides grocery benefits to families when school is out
Coverage Gap: For every 100 low-income children who receive free or reduced-price school lunch, only 40 receive summer meals. This leaves millions of children at risk of hunger during summer.

3.8M

Average daily participation in summer meal programs

Child Food Insecurity by Demographics

By Race/Ethnicity
Black, Non-Hispanic 26.1%
Hispanic 20.8%
White, Non-Hispanic 10.2%
Asian 8.4%
By Household Type
Single Mother 28.7%
Single Father 17.2%
Married Couple 8.3%

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