AMERICAN HUNGER HIGH AMONG DEVELOPED NATIONS

Researchers at Pew and Gallup have polled citizens across the developed world about whether they can afford enough food for their families. According to Gallup’s findings, Americans are far more likely to say they were unable to pay for food than citizens of other rich countries. In 2011 and 2012, 21% of U.S. citizens reported food issues, versus 8% of British survey takers, 6% of Swedes, and 5% of Germans. Estonia and Hungary had bigger problems with food affordability than the U.S., but both are relatively poor among developed nations. The U.S. fared somewhat better by comparison in Pew's polling. In its 2013 results, 24% of Americans said they had difficulty affording food during the past year, only slightly worse than France (20%), on par with Greece (24%), and a little better than South Korea (26%). 

Source: Slate, 9/4/14, U.S. Hunger