Food insufficiency among transgender adults in the U.S. during the later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (2021–2023)

Food insufficiency remains a significant public health concern, particularly among marginalized populations. Using nationally representative data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (August–October 2023, Week 63), this study compared food insufficiency between transgender and cisgender adults in the United States. The analytic sample included 79,371 respondents, of whom 267 identified as transgender. Food insufficiency was defined as “not having enough food or not having the kinds of food wanted in the past seven days.” Overall, 21% of transgender adults reported sometimes or often not having enough to eat compared with 8% of cisgender adults (p < 0.001). Transgender respondents were also more likely to experience financial strain, rely on food assistance programs, and report difficulty paying household expenses. Despite similar or higher educational attainment and employment rates, food insufficiency remained more common among transgender adults. These results indicate persistent differences in access to adequate food and suggest the need for further research and programmatic attention to address these disparities.