UN Report: Global Hunger Declines but Remains Above Pre-COVID Levels

UN Report: Global Hunger Declines but Remains Above Pre-COVID Levels
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Global hunger has continued to decline but remains significantly higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest United Nations State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report.

The report estimates that around 645 million people faced hunger in 2025, a decrease of 14 million compared with 2024 and 43 million compared with 2022. The global hunger rate fell to 7.8% of the world’s population, down from 8.1% in 2024 and 8.6% in 2022, marking the third consecutive year of improvement.

Despite the progress, the UN warned that conflicts, economic crises and climate-related disasters continue to drive severe food insecurity in many regions. Africa remains the most affected continent, with an estimated 309 million people experiencing hunger in 2025, representing nearly half of the world’s hungry population.

The report said Asia recorded about 292 million undernourished people, while Latin America and the Caribbean reported around 32 million. Although hunger rates have improved in several regions, Africa continues to face major challenges due to population growth, conflict and economic pressures.

A separate UN-backed food crisis report found that about 1.4 million people worldwide are facing catastrophic levels of hunger, the most severe category of food insecurity. Gaza recorded the largest number of people facing catastrophic hunger, with about 640,700 people affected, followed by Sudan with around 637,200 people. Other affected countries include South Sudan, Yemen, Haiti and Mali.

The UN projects that the number of people facing hunger could decline by about 20% by 2030, but warns that between 510 million and 520 million people may still remain undernourished by the end of the decade, with more than half expected to live in Africa.