The Trump administration has announced the termination of a federal survey that has measured hunger and food access in American households for more than 30 years. Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated that the annual Household Food Security Report will be discontinued.
In its announcement, the USDA contended that the survey's methodology is flawed and produces subjective results that are politically skewed. The agency claimed the data is inaccurate and fails to reflect improving economic conditions, including lower poverty rates and rising wages.
This move follows recent legislative changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. Independent policy analysts have projected those changes could remove millions of individuals from the program.
The final published report, released in 2023, indicated that 13.5% of U.S. households experienced food insecurity, marking the highest rate recorded in over ten years.
This decision also underscores a wider pattern of the administration challenging official government data. President Trump has frequently criticized federal economic statistics that indicate slowing growth or a weaker labor market, labeling them as false. Earlier this year, he replaced the head of the Labor Department's statistics bureau with a political ally.
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