Global Hunger Falls, But Africa and West Asia See Sharp Rise: UN

About 8.2 per cent of the global population (673 million people) experienced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5 per cent in 2023 and 8.7 per cent in 2022, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2025) report published by five specialised agencies of the United Nations. However, progress was not consistent across the globe, as hunger continued to rise in most subregions of Africa and western Asia, the report says.

It reports that about 673 million people faced hunger in 2024 — 15 million fewer than in 2023 and 22 million fewer than in 2022. While the decline is welcome, the latest estimates remain above pre-pandemic levels, with the high food inflation of recent years contributing to the slow recovery in food security.

FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu: “While it is encouraging to see a decrease in the global hunger rate, we must recognise that progress is uneven. SOFI 2025 serves as a critical reminder that we need to intensify efforts to ensure that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. To achieve this, we must work collaboratively and innovatively with governments, organisations, and communities to address the specific challenges faced by vulnerable populations, especially in regions where hunger remains persistent.”

The report says notable improvements are seen in southern Asia and Latin America. In Asia, it fell from 7.9% in 2022 to 6.7% (323 million people) in 2024. In Latin America and the Caribbean, it fell to 5.1% (34 million people) in 2024 from 6.1% in 2020. But hunger is still rising in Africa and western Asia, especially in countries with long food crises. In 2024, over 20% of Africa’s population—about 307 million people—faced hunger, while in western Asia it was around 12.7%, or more than 39 million people. It is projected that by 2030, 512 million people could be chronically undernourished, with nearly 60% in Africa, the FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO warn—highlighting the immense challenge of achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).

WFP Executive Director, Cindy McCain:  “Hunger remains at alarming levels, yet the funding needed to tackle it is falling. Last year, WFP reached 124 million people with lifesaving food assistance. This year, funding cuts of up to 40 percent mean that tens of millions of people will lose the vital lifeline we provide. While the small reduction in overall rates of food insecurity is welcome, the continued failure to provide critical aid to people in desperate need will soon wipe out these hard-won gains, sparking further instability in volatile regions of the world.”

SOFI 2025 also examines the causes and consequences of the 2021–2023 food price surge and its impact on food security and nutrition.

The report highlights that the global policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic — characterised by extensive fiscal and monetary interventions — combined with the impacts of the war in Ukraine and extreme weather events, contributed to recent inflationary pressures.

This food price inflation has hindered the post-pandemic recovery in food security and nutrition. Since 2020, global food price inflation has consistently outpaced headline inflation. The gap peaked in January 2023, with food inflation reaching 13.6 per cent, 5.1 percentage points above the headline rate of 8.5 per cent.

IFAD President, Alvaro Lario: “In times of rising food prices and disrupted global value chains, we must step up our investments in rural and agricultural transformation. These investments are not only essential for ensuring food and nutrition security - they are also critical for global stability.”

Low-income countries have been particularly hit hard by rising food prices. While median global food price inflation increased from 2.3 per cent in December 2020 to 13.6 per cent in early 2023, it climbed even higher in low-income countries, peaking at 30 per cent in May 2023.

Despite rising global food prices, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet fell from 2.76 billion in 2019 to 2.60 billion in 2024. However, the improvement was uneven. In low-income countries, where the cost of a healthy diet rose more sharply than in higher-income countries, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet increased from 464 million in 2019 to 545 million in 2024. In lower-middle-income countries (excluding India), the number rose from 791 million in 2019 to 869 million over the same period.

UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell: “Every child deserves the chance to grow and thrive. Yet over 190 million children under the age of 5 are affected by undernutrition, which can have negative consequences for their physical and mental development. This robs them of the chance to live to their fullest potential. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report for 2025 underscores the need to act urgently for the world’s youngest and most vulnerable children, as rising food prices could deepen nutrition insecurity for millions of families. We must work in collaboration with governments, the private sector and communities themselves to ensure that vulnerable families have access to food that is affordable and with adequate nutrition for children to develop. That includes strengthening social protection programs and teaching parents about locally produced nutritious food for children, including the importance of breastfeeding, which provides the best start to a baby’s life.

The report recommends a combination of policy responses to food price inflation. They include targeted and time-bound fiscal measures, such as social protection programs, to safeguard vulnerable households; credible and transparent monetary policies to contain inflationary pressures; and strategic investments in agrifood R&D, transport and production infrastructure, and market information systems to improve productivity and resilience.
WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “In recent years, the world has made good progress in reducing stunting and supporting exclusive breastfeeding, but there is still much to be done to relieve millions of people from the burdens of food insecurity and malnutrition. This report provides encouraging news, but also shows where the gaps are and who is being left behind, and where we must direct our efforts to ensure that everyone has access to a healthy and nutritious diet.”