World Hunger Day highlights food insecurity among seniors

May 28, 2026, is World Hunger Day, here are some interesting statistics about hunger in older adults. In 2020, 5 million people aged 65 and over lived in poverty in the United States. Nearly 3 million food-insecure households included an adult age 65 or older in the same year. SNAP can help.

One in 10 of the nation’s 47.6 million households with adults (age 60+) participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), on average each year between 2015–2019.

Quick Facts

• In 2020, 9% – 5 million – of people age 65 and over in the United States lived in poverty.
• In 2020, more than 2.8 million food-insecure households included an adult age 65 or older. This represents 7.2% of all households with an older adult (65+).
• 1.28 million adults aged 65 or older (8.3%) who lived alone were food insecure in 2020, and approximately 531,000 of these older adults were experiencing low food insecurity.
• Older adults were hit particularly hard by the economic and public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of older adults struggled to put food on the table, with some age, racial, and ethnic groups disproportionately impacted by increased rates of food insecurity.
• SNAP benefited approximately 5.3 million households with at least one older adult (60+) in FY 2019.  Even so, millions of eligible older adults miss out on SNAP.
• In fiscal year 2019, the average SNAP benefit for households with an older adult was $120.
• SNAP played a vital role during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participation grew to meet additional needs. In response to acute levels of food hardship, the federal government increased SNAP benefit amounts temporarily.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Home Care in South Sacramento, CA, please contact the caring staff at Aging Assistant today at (916) 897-4752

James Ozsvath

Aging Assistant is a locally owned and operated in-home senior care provider, we are dedicated to helping our clients to remain in the home they love for as long as they can. Our caregiving staff are all warm and compassionate professionals, experienced in taking care of seniors in various stages of health. We handle a wide range of services, such as help with shopping, housekeeping, attending doctor’s appointments, and preparing meals. We also provide our clients with limited mobility or more intensive conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or Dementia with the higher level of personal care that they require. Call our team now if you need help with a loved one's care.

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