More than 1.2 million New Jersey residents experienced food insecurity in 2024, continuing a yearslong increase, according to new estimates from Feeding America.

Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap data estimates 1,239,340 New Jersey residents, or 13% of the population, lived in food-insecure households in 2024.

Food insecurity is defined as limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Feeding America’s figures are modeled estimates of the number of people living in food-insecure households rather than a direct count of people experiencing hunger.

That number has increased every year since 2020, when an estimated 657,320 residents, or 7.4% of the population, experienced food insecurity. The estimate rose to 812,440 in 2021, 994,800 in 2022 and 1,089,190 in 2023 before reaching more than 1.2 million in 2024.

Overall, Feeding America’s estimates show the number of New Jersey residents experiencing food insecurity increased by nearly 582,000, or about 89%, between 2020 and 2024.

The estimated annual food-budget shortfall among food-insecure New Jersey residents also grew substantially over the five years, from about $381 million in 2020 to $920 million in 2024.

The trend in New Jersey comes as food insecurity remains elevated nationally. Feeding America said 2024 food insecurity levels across the country remained at their highest since 2014. The organization noted that food prices increased nearly 24% between 2020 and 2024 while other household expenses also rose, saying the cumulative effect of higher prices may have contributed to elevated food insecurity.

The report also found New Jersey had some of the lowest estimated rates of child food insecurity in the country. Hunterdon County had the lowest rate among U.S. counties in 2024 at 7%, while New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District had the lowest rate among congressional districts at 8%.

Feeding America produces its Map the Meal Gap estimates annually using federal survey, Census and unemployment data. The latest report uses data through 2024.