More hungry in the US now than during the pandemic

TT

Published 19.58

 

Food delivery to the needy in New York. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited the aid organization Pots during his election campaign in November. Archive photo. Photo: Seth Wenig/AP/TT

More Americans are suffering from hunger than during the corona pandemic, the Federal Reserve's New York branch finds in a study.

Around 1,200 households in the US have been asked about their financial situation, and whether they have to dig deep into savings or find emergency measures to cover food purchases. Questions were also asked whether the food has been sufficient for the household's children; and whether they have received assistance for food purchases.

The result was disappointing: "There has been a significant increase in households affected by the four issues," writes the Fed.

The situation was compared to the coronavirus pandemic, when unemployment and food prices rose.

More than a third said they were forced to use savings to buy food – an increase of 8 percentage points. 15 percent said they relied on support, also an increase.