Hunger and Poverty among Latinos

Hunger and poverty rates among Latinos are higher than in the general population. More than one in four Latino households—26.9 percent—struggles to put food on the table, compared to 14.6 percent of all households. Similarly, one in four Latinos lives in poverty, compared to one in seven for the overall population. In the United States, 15.8 percent of the population, Or 48.4 million people identify as Latino. As expected, increased rates of hunger and Poverty correlate with decreased economic opportunity in the Latino community. But race, hunger, and poverty also correlate with social factors such as education and family structure, weaving a web of roadblocks and reduced outcomes that reinforce racial disparity in the United States. This analysis highlights how increased rates of hunger and poverty affect Latinos’ economic, health, educational, and family lives.