Record High: NYC Free Food Pantry Users Increase by 82% Compared to Pre-Pandemic

City Harvest data reveals a significant surge in demand for food assistance, with Queens experiencing the largest increase among the five boroughs.

The number of people visiting free food pantry sites in NYC has reached an all-time high, with a staggering 82% increase compared to 2019.

Young students at City Harvest are filling bags with food to distribute to low-income residents. [City Harvest]

The number of users of free food distribution sites, such as food pantries and soup kitchens, in NYC has increased significantly this year. According to City Harvest, a leading food relief organization in NYC, the number of users has risen by 82% compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

City Harvest data also shows that visits to free food distribution centers in the city will increase 1.8-fold, from approximately 14.6 million in 2019 to about 26.9 million in 2023. Queens, in particular, recorded the largest increase among the five boroughs, with a population of approximately 7.78 million, a whopping 146% increase compared to approximately 3.16 million in 2019.

Last year, Brooklyn had the most visitors to its free food pantry, with 9,129,938, followed by Queens and Manhattan (6,136,266), the Bronx (3,157,905), and Staten Island (724,446).

“The rising cost of living, driven by inflation, is a key driver of the increase in the number of people using the food pantry,” said City Harvest CEO Gillie Stevenson. “As the costs of food, childcare, and housing continue to rise, food security is at a major risk.”

According to New York City Council data, the poverty rate in NYC is nearly twice the national average. In 2022, the national poverty rate was 12%, while NYC’s rate was 23%.

As of April this year, there are 511 emergency food distribution sites in the five boroughs of NYC. Of these, 428 are food pantries and 79 are meal sites, but the actual number is lower due to overlap between pantries and meal sites.