HUNGER AT HOME
Its Costs to our Economy and our Society
America’s Hunger Bill
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High poverty and hunger
rates among U.S. children
reduce the value of economic
output by several hundred
billion dollars annually.
Food insecurity for families
and communities has clear
economic consequences that
cross a number of sectors.
 Education
 Health
 Law Enforcement
Short-term expenditures to
put off the effects of poverty
and unemployment on
children and youth could have
major fiscal payoffs that
offset their initial costs.
Billion
source: americanprogress.org
We Pay for Poor Performance

U.S. economic output reduced by as much
as 4 percent of GDP each year (roughly
$500 billion), caused by:

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
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Low productivity and earnings
Poor health
High levels of crime and incarceration
among adults who grew up poor
Failure of high school dropouts to obtain
diplomas costs the public sector about
$125 billion in lost revenues each year.
Every percentage point increase in the
dropout rate each year would reduce
federal revenue by $5 billion over time.
“…likely a conservative
estimate.”
- Penny Wise, Pound Foolish
We Pay for Poor Health
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Intermittent hunger contributes
to binge eating and
overeating to cope with stress
and depression.
Hunger in babies wreaks
havoc on their metabolism and
makes them more susceptible
to obesity later in life.
Medical costs of obesity are
estimated at $147 billion per
year.
Hunger among children affects
cognitive development and
leads to lower academic
achievement.
Estimated
yearly cost
of hungerrelated
health
expenses.
How SNAP Helps
Nutrition programs like SNAP are one of the most cost-effective ways
to control rising healthcare costs, which pose a much greater long-term
threat to the nation’s economy than the cost of nutrition programs.
SNAP Participants by Age
Group
Children
Middle Age
Elderly
8%
47%
45%
Greater Need than Ever
14.5
Percent
Of U.S.
population
is food
insecure
2010
$731
Average monthly
gross income for all
SNAP households
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The Great Recession has only
tightened hunger’s grip on American
communities.
Keeping hunger at bay will demand
timely action from government at all
levels and civil society.
How We Compare
The U.S. has some
of the highest child
poverty and infant
mortality rates of the
developed world.

United States
source
Ahead of the Curb: Philadelphia
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Philadelphia has
set very ambitious
goals for ending
hunger in its
neighborhoods.
It has developed
a city-wide
prevention and
response network.
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Your city or community can join
a greater movement against
hunger: The Hunger Free
Communities Network
This network combines the
efforts of:

Government agencies, businesses,
faith groups, health service
providers, educational institutions,
civic associations, foundations
and non-profit organizations
Connect with the network and find resources at: www.hungerfreecommunities.org
Read the 2013 Hunger Report
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The most current policy
analysis on hunger—at
home and around the
world—and how to end it.
Find interactive tools, infographics, a Christian study
guide and much more at
the hunger report website.
www.hungerreport.org