At a rate of nearly 19%, Arkansas has the highest prevalence of food insecurity in the nation, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released Wednesday.
The annual study, which was conducted by the USDA’s Economic Research Service, found that Arkansas was one of seven states where the prevalence of food insecurity surpassed the national average of 13.5% in 2023, an increase from 12.8% in 2022.
Arkansas was one of six states where the prevalence of very low food insecurity was higher than the national average of 5.1%, according to the report. State level data was calculated using estimates for the 3-year period of 2021-2023, lead author Matthew Rabbitt said during a webinar Wednesday.