Hunger doesn’t just affect your stomach—it can change your entire mood. A new CivicScience survey explores how often Americans admit to feeling “hangry” when they haven’t eaten in a while. Based on responses from 1,640 U.S. adults, the data shows that 38% say they ‘absolutely’ get hangry or crabby when they haven’t eaten in awhile, 36% say they get somewhat crabby, and 26% say not at all (excluding ‘does not apply’).
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High-income households are 14 percentage points more likely than lower-income households to say they get hangry. Millennials, followed by Gen Z, are the most prone to hunger-related irritability. Those living in cities are also 12 percentage points more likely than rural residents and 7 percentage points more likely than suburban residents to report getting hangry.
But demographics aren’t the only thing setting the hangry apart:
- Drinking with Co-Workers: Those who always get crabby when hungry are three times as likely to say they drink with co-workers very often.
- Social Media Buying: They are 14 percentage points more likely to buy items directly on social media compared to those who don’t get crabby at all.
- Bedtime: They’re far more likely to go to bed earlier, between 8 PM and 10 PM, while those who don’t get hangry tend to stay up past midnight.
- Social Media and Food: They’re twice as likely to share the food they make on social media.
Hangry Americans stand out for their unique habits around work, shopping, and social sharing. From early bedtimes to posting meals online, these hunger-driven differences show how a skipped meal can shape more than just your mood.
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This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.