Framework of Food Insecurity in Tucson, Arizona MSA
The most recent State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, released by five United Nations specialized agencies, indicates that global hunger and the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity has remained relatively stable for three consecutive years, following a significant increase that occurred in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, it was estimated that 28.9% of the worldwide population, equating to approximately 2.33 billion individuals, experienced moderate to severe food insecurity.
The most recent Household Food Security report published by the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture reaffirms the persistent concerns raised by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC): That without increased funding for anti-poverty and anti-hunger initiatives, the issue of hunger in the U.S. will persistently escalate. We possess the necessary resources to eradicate hunger. It is imperative that we utilize these tools to ensure that hunger in America becomes an issue of the past.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that before the COVID-19 pandemic, 10.5% (13.7 million) of U.S. households experienced food insecurity. That figure remained steady in 2020, dropped to 10.2% in 2021, and then rose to 13.5% in 2023. That means 18.0 million U.S. households faced low food security in 2023. While the percent of households experiencing very low food security is less than those experiencing food insecurity, the two indicators exhibit similar trends. In 2023, the prevalence of very low food security among households remained at 5.1% or 6.8 million households. Figure 1 illustrates the prevalence of food-insecure households in the U.S. from 2001 to 2023.
Figure 1: Prevalence of Food Insecurity and Very Low Food Security in U.S. Households (2001-2023)
The Map the Meal Gap study provided 2022 estimates of food insecurity at the state, county, and district levels. In Arizona, 963,130 individuals, or 13.1% of the state population, were considered food insecure during 2022. Arizona had the fourth-highest rate of food insecurity among the Western states (see Figure 2). Texas had the highest rate of food insecure individuals at 16.4%, while Idaho had the lowest at 11.4%.
Figure 2: Percent of Population Food Insecure by State (2022)
The food insecurity rate in Arizona declined by 3.7 percentage points between 2017 and 2021, from 14.0% to 10.3%. However, in 2022, that trend reversed, and the food insecurity rate climbed back up to 13.1%. That was consistent with a rise in the food insecurity rates across all Western states and nationally. In 2022, seven of the 10 Western states explored on the MAP Dashboard, experienced the highest rate of food insecurity for the reported period. Figure 3 displays the prevalence of food insecurity for individuals in the West from 2017 to 2022.
Figure 3: Trends in Food Insecurity Rates by State (2017–2022)
In 2020, El Paso recorded the highest food insecurity rate among metropolitan areas at 15.0%, while Denver had the lowest at 8.5%. As illustrated in Figure 4, Tucson had the sixth-highest percent of food insecurity among peer Western MSAs at 10.9%. The graph presents the most recent data for the MAP Western MSAs, sourced from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CHR&R).
Figure 4: Percent of Population Food Insecure by MSA (2020)
In 2022, Maricopa and Pinal counties posted lower food insecurity rates than the state (13.1%). Apache County had the highest food insecurity rate (21.5%), while Maricopa County posted the lowest rate at 12.0% (see Figure 5). Between 2017 and 2022, Coconino County posted a 3.6 percentage points decline in food insecurity, while Santa Cruz faced a rise of 8 percentage points, increasing from 9.6% to 17.6%.
Figure 5: Percent of Population Food Insecure by Arizona County (2022)
In 2022, all Arizona counties reported food insecurity rates that were higher for the Hispanic and Latino population than for the white, non-Hispanic population. Food insecurity rates in Santa Cruz and Navajo counties were 12.0 percentage points higher for the Hispanic and Latino population compared to the white, non-Hispanic population. Greenlee posted the smallest difference at 3.0 percentage points. Before the COVID pandemic, the food insecurity gap between the white, non-Hispanic population and the Hispanic and Latino population was several percentage points lower. In 2020, this disparity widened to an average difference of 8.0 percentage points, which then decreased to an average of 5.2 percentage points in 2021. However, in 2022, the disparity rose once more, reaching an average of 8.4 percentage points. Figure 6 highlights the differences in food insecurity rates between the white, non-Hispanic population and the Hispanic and Latino population for Arizona’s fifteen counties.
Figure 6: Percent of Population Food Insecure by Race and Ethnicity in Arizona Counties (2022)
Child, Adult, and Senior Food Insecurity in Arizona
Children facing food insecurity are prone to having inadequate diets and unhealthy weight gain. Moreover, they face a greater chance of developing chronic illnesses, experiencing mental health issues, struggling academically, having stunted growth and development, and negative health habits later in life.
In 2022, 18.5% of children (under age 18) in the United States and Arizona faced food insecurity, which translates to a food insecure child population of 13.4 million for the nation.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 temporarily interrupted the prolonged recovery of food insecurity among individuals aged 50-59, which had remained elevated since the economic shock of the Great Recession. In 2022, individuals aged 50 to 59 in the United States experienced a food insecurity rate of 11.9%, which was higher than the rate in Arizona (7.2%).
Unlike the overall population, the rates of food insecurity among seniors (aged 60 and above) have not returned to their pre-Great Recession levels. Consequently, millions of seniors continue to face vulnerability to food hardships and their resulting negative health consequences. In 2022, the food insecurity rate among the senior population in Arizona exceeded the national rate by 0.7 percentage points. (See Figure 7).
Figure 7: Percent of Child, Adult and Senior Population Food Insecure in U.S, Arizona and Tucson, MSA (2022)
In 2022 and 2023, multiple factors contributed to the growing challenges related to food insecurity. These factors included significant drops in equity markets, a rise in inflation, and the discontinuation of certain forms of federal assistance. This highlights the importance of continuous monitoring of food insecurity to provide valuable insights for policymaking aimed at improving the well-being of the community. The MAP Dashboard will keep monitoring trends connected to food insecurity.
