Food insecurity among military families up 12 percentage points in nonprofit's 2025 survey [View all]
More than a quarter of military families polled in the most recent annual survey by a leading aid organization for service members and veterans said they consistently struggle to put food on the table.
That is among the financial strains of military life that make it a challenge to meet basic needs, Blue Star Families found as part of the nonprofit’s Military Family Lifestyle Survey for 2025.
Frequent relocations, out-of-pocket expenses for military moves, child care shortages, and interruptions of a spouse’s education and career are contributing factors to the financial hardships of U.S. personnel, according to the survey.
The data highlight “how persistent, service-connected financial pressures continue to shape military family life,” the organization said last week in a statement releasing the survey’s findings.
About 28% of survey respondents were categorized as having “low or very low” food security, an increase from 16% in 2023, when that category was last reported, according to the survey.
In addition, 22% of participants said they used a food pantry or received food from a military food distribution center in the 12 months preceding the survey, while 30% of active-duty respondents said they “often or sometimes” could not afford to eat balanced meals.
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2026-02-09/bluestar-survey-financial-strain-food-insecurity-20678745.html
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