U.S. could be home to 8 million food-insecure seniors by 2050, study says

If left unchecked, the number of food-insecure seniors could reach 8 million by 2050, says a just-released study from Feeding America, a nonprofit with a large network of food banks.

The study, “The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2017,” found that 5.5 million adults over the age of 65 experienced food insecurity during 2017, the latest year for which such data is accessible. That came out to 7.7% of the senior population, a rate that closely mirrored that seen in 2016.

Food insecurity among seniors showed up in all 50 states, the study says, with the largest proportion experiencing food insecurity in Louisiana (12.3%) and the smallest in Minnesota (2.8%).

Perhaps surprisingly, 65.3% of seniors who were food insecure during 2017 reported incomes higher than the federal poverty line, underscoring that food insecurity can cross income lines.

“The State of Senior Hunger in America” study received funding from the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation as part of its Fill Your Tank initiative.