The rate of undernourished adults in the US has nearly doubled since 2021, according to the latest data released by Morning Consult - a global survey research tool company, data and news services for businesses, marketing, economics and politics.
Accordingly, in May 2025, 15.6% of adults in the US were classified as food fraud, nearly double the rate in 2021, when support programs such as the expanded supplementary nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and increased child tax credit helped reduce poverty.
The main reason is believed to be due to deep cuts to federal food subsidies, including SNAP. The "big and beautiful" act signed by President Donald Trump last week has cut 230 billion USD from SNAP in the next decade.
This law tightens conditions for benefits, expands labor requirements to people under 64 years old and reduces exemption cases, especially affecting parents. The US Congressional Budget Office estimates that the new provisions could result in an average of 3.2 million people losing or reducing access to food aid each month.
The prominent contrast between this situation is the fact that US economic and stock market indicators are reaching their peak. There is a huge gap between the peak of Wall Street and the increasingly severe food shortage, said John Leer, chief economist at Morning Consult.
In Philadelphia, the Share Food Program food banking network recorded a 120% increase in demand in just the past 3 years. As government aid withdraws in 2022, the number of people in need of help begins to increase significantly, said George Matysik, CEO.
Food distribution organizations across the US are preparing to respond to increased demand in the coming time when the new regulations take effect. Many of these countries are struggling to meet current demand, and the pressure will increase as the number of people with food shortages continues to increase.
States having to increase funding while aid conditions are increasingly difficult makes the prospect of food security in the world's largest economy more uncertain than ever.
