Recession and higher food prices pushed up share of income spent on food by low-income Americans

In 2006, households in the lowest income quintile spent 32.0 percent of their income on food. The 2007-09 recession led to increases in this already high share. Food spending as a share of income for households in the lowest income quintile grew to 35.6 percent in 2009-putting further pressure on thin budgets. Over the same period, food spending as a share of income declined for middle-income households from 12.5 to 11.9 percent and remained flat for the highest income quintile at 6.8 percent. This chart is found in the September 2011 issue of Amber Waves magazine.