A truck unloads food at the Greater Boston Food Bank in 2020. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe
According to the Greater Boston Food Bank's most recent statewide survey, about 34% of all Massachusetts households experienced food insecurity in 2023. This equates to about 1.9 million adults reporting household food insecurity, a slight increase from 2022 and a continuation of the steady increase in food insecurity over the past four years.
“For too many people in one of the wealthiest states in the nation, the fact that one in three people remain food insecure is an unacceptable daily reality,” GBFB president and CEO Katherine D'Amato said in a statement.
The survey, conducted from November to March, measures food insecurity across different locations and demographics. Food insecurity is when a household has limited or uncertain access to enough food.
While just 19% of Massachusetts households faced food insecurity in 2019, that number jumped to 30% in 2020, 32% in 2021, and 33% in 2022.
The study found that every county in the state experienced “significant” food insecurity in 2023. Norfolk County had the lowest percentage of households facing food insecurity at 18 percent. Bristol and Hampden counties had the highest rates, at 48 percent each. Berkshire and Suffolk counties were close behind at 45 percent.
Racial disparities were stark: American Indian/Alaska Native households experienced the highest levels of food insecurity at 62 percent. The survey found that 56 percent of Hispanic households and 51 percent of Black households struggled to find enough food, compared with 30 percent of white households and 26 percent of Asian households.
Massachusetts has one of the highest costs of living in the country, forcing residents to make tough decisions just to eat: Among households that report food insecurity, about 70% said they have to choose between paying for food and paying for utilities or transportation.
Inflation is the leading cause of food insecurity, according to survey participants, with 73% of food insecure people saying high inflation and rising food costs are preventing them from eating better. Massachusetts experienced the sixth-highest food price increases in the country over the past year, according to Consumer Affairs data cited in the report.
“The foundation of this report is practical expertise,” said Lauren Fichtner, senior health and research advisor at GBFB and chief of pediatric nutrition at Massachusetts General Hospital. “When we asked people facing hunger what needed to change, they overwhelmingly attributed food insecurity to high inflation and the cost of living, low-wage jobs, and limited public transportation options.”
There has been an increased reliance on community food assistance programs, such as food pantries and regular meal programs. While the total number of households using these programs has not changed significantly, these households report attending the programs more frequently and receiving more food items.
Research shows that while efforts like food pantries and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are essential, they're not enough: 75% of people who participate in two or more food assistance programs still experience food insecurity.
In 2023, 35% of all households with children had children go hungry, skip a meal, or go without food for an entire day because they didn't have enough money for food. That's a 1% decrease from 2022. Last year, Gov. Maura Healey and state lawmakers made Massachusetts the eighth state to offer permanent, universal free school meals to K-12 students. Permanently adopting the policy, which began during the pandemic in 2020, was a “big step” for the state, GBFB said in the report.
Food insecurity is associated with not only chronic health problems like diabetes, but also mental health issues: The study found that 52% of people who experienced food insecurity screened positive for anxiety and 49% screened positive for depression.
“These alarming rates are double the overall rates in our sample and suggest a need for comprehensive and holistic services,” the report authors wrote.
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