Global Hunger Declines Slightly in 2024, But Progress Remains Uneven

Global Hunger Declines Slightly in 2024, But Progress Remains Uneven
…………………

Global hunger affected an estimated 673 million people in 2024, or 8.2% of the population, marking a slight decrease from 2023, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025 report released by five UN agencies. While the decline is a positive step, hunger remains above pre-pandemic levels, and disparities persist across regions.

The report—launched during the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake in Addis Ababa—highlighted notable progress in southern Asia and Latin America, where undernourishment declined significantly. However, hunger continued to rise in much of Africa and western Asia. Africa’s hunger rate exceeded 20% in 2024, affecting over 300 million people, while 12.7% of western Asia’s population faced hunger.

Food insecurity also remains widespread, with 2.3 billion people experiencing moderate or severe food access constraints in 2024—335 million more than in 2019. Child stunting declined, but child wasting and overweight rates remain largely unchanged. Meanwhile, adult obesity and anaemia among women have risen.

Global food inflation, driven by the COVID-19 response, the war in Ukraine, and climate events, has slowed recovery. Food prices rose faster in low-income countries, raising the number of people unable to afford healthy diets.

UN leaders called for increased investment in sustainable agriculture, stronger social protections, and nutrition education. They stressed the urgency of collective action to meet the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030 and ensure access to nutritious food for all, especially vulnerable populations.