Global Hunger in 2024: A Mixed Picture of Progress and Setbacks
The world is witnessing a slow but steady decline in global hunger, according to the latest data released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and its United Nations partners. In 2024, the proportion of the global population suffering from undernourishment dropped to 8.2 percent, or about 672 million people. This marks the third consecutive year of improvement, with 15 million fewer people going hungry compared to the previous year. However, the headline numbers mask a complex and uneven reality: while some regions, especially parts of Asia led by India, have made remarkable progress, hunger is rising in Africa and the Middle East, and the world remains far from achieving the United Nations’ Zero Hunger goal by 2030.
What Is the FAO’s SOFI Report and Why Does It Matter?
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) is the FAO’s flagship annual report, produced in collaboration with IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO. It provides the most authoritative global assessment of hunger, food security, and nutrition, tracking progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger). The 2025 edition, released in Addis Ababa during the UN Food Summit, offers the latest data, analysis, and projections, highlighting both achievements and persistent challenges in the fight against hunger.
India’s Remarkable Progress: A Beacon of Hope in Asia
Among the most striking findings in the 2025 SOFI report is India’s outsized contribution to the global reduction in hunger. In 2024 alone, India lifted an estimated 19.4 million people out of undernourishment, accounting for nearly half of Asia’s total improvement. Over the past two years, the number of undernourished Indians fell from 197 million to 149.9 million—a reduction of almost 25 percent. This means that India, home to nearly a fifth of the world’s population, is responsible for a significant share of the global decline in hunger.
India’s progress is not an isolated case. Other countries in South and Southeast Asia have also made gains, but India’s scale and speed stand out. Excluding India, Asia still saw 4.4 million fewer hungry people in 2024, despite setbacks in the Middle East. The overall prevalence of undernourishment in Asia fell from 7.9 percent in 2022 to 6.7 percent in 2024, or 323 million people.
What’s Behind India’s Success?
India’s achievements are the result of a combination of government policies, economic growth, and targeted interventions. Key factors include:
- Expansion of food security programs: India’s Public Distribution System (PDS) and the National Food Security Act have provided subsidized grains to hundreds of millions, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Investment in agriculture: Initiatives to improve crop yields, irrigation, and rural infrastructure have boosted food production and farmer incomes.
- Nutrition and health programs: Schemes like the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and mid-day meal programs have targeted child malnutrition and improved dietary diversity.
- Resilience to shocks: India’s ability to maintain food supplies and social protection during economic and climate shocks has helped prevent backsliding.
Recent projects, such as the GEF 7 FOLUR Impact Program in Odisha, highlight India’s commitment to sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and improved market access for farmers. According to Mr. Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha, the program aligns with the state’s vision for a “sustainable, more resilient, and food- and nutrition-secure future.”
Global Trends: Progress in Asia and Latin America, Setbacks in Africa and the Middle East
While Asia’s gains are encouraging, the global picture is far from uniform. The SOFI 2025 report and supporting FAO statistics show that hunger is rising in Africa and the Middle East, offsetting much of the progress made elsewhere.
In Africa, the proportion of the population facing hunger surpassed 20 percent in 2024, affecting 307 million people. Western Asia also saw an increase, with 12.7 percent of the population—over 39 million people—experiencing hunger. These regions are grappling with a toxic mix of conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes, and forced displacement.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu emphasized the urgency of the situation: “We must intensify our efforts to ensure everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food, especially in regions where hunger remains persistent.”
Latin America and the Caribbean, by contrast, have seen improvements. The prevalence of undernourishment in the region fell to 5.15 percent in 2024, down from a peak of 6.1 percent in 2020. However, these gains are fragile and could be reversed by economic downturns or climate events.
Why Is Hunger Rising in Some Regions?
The drivers of hunger are complex and often interconnected. According to the FAO and World Food Programme’s Hunger Hotspots report, the main factors include:
- Conflict: Ongoing wars and instability, especially in Sudan, the Gaza Strip, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali, have displaced millions and disrupted food systems.
- Economic shocks: High inflation, currency devaluation, and rising food prices have eroded purchasing power, particularly in low-income countries.
- Climate extremes: Droughts, floods, and other weather events, often linked to El Niño, have devastated crops and livelihoods.
- Forced displacement: Nearly 95 million forcibly displaced people now live in countries facing food crises.
These overlapping shocks have pushed acute food insecurity and child malnutrition to record highs in fragile regions, with over 295 million people facing acute hunger in 2024—a rise of almost 14 million from the previous year.
Food Prices, Production, and the Cost of a Healthy Diet
Food prices are a critical factor in global hunger trends. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks international prices of key food commodities, has fluctuated in 2024 and 2025. While prices for cereals and sugar have generally fallen, increases in dairy, meat, and vegetable oils have offset these declines. The index was 5.8 percent higher in June 2025 compared to a year earlier, but still below its 2022 peak.
Global cereal production is forecast to reach record highs, with improved outlooks for wheat, maize, and rice—driven in part by strong harvests in India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. However, adverse weather, trade tensions, and supply chain disruptions remain risks. The FAO projects that global cereal stocks will rise, suggesting a relatively comfortable supply outlook, but regional disparities persist.
The Affordability Challenge
Despite rising global food production, the cost of a healthy diet remains out of reach for billions. The number of people unable to afford a healthy diet fell from 2.76 billion in 2019 to 2.60 billion in 2024, but the improvement was uneven. In low-income countries, the cost of a healthy diet rose sharply, and the number of people unable to afford it increased from 464 million in 2019 to 545 million in 2024. Food price inflation, which peaked at 13.6 percent in early 2023, has hit the poorest hardest.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell warned: “Rising food prices could deepen nutrition insecurity for millions of families, especially the world’s youngest and most vulnerable children.”
Nutrition: Progress and Persistent Gaps
Beyond hunger, the world faces a dual burden of malnutrition: undernutrition and rising obesity. The prevalence of stunting in children under five declined from 26.4 percent in 2012 to 23.2 percent in 2024, reflecting global progress. Exclusive breastfeeding rates for infants under six months rose from 37 percent in 2012 to 47.8 percent in 2023. However, the prevalence of adult obesity increased from 12.1 percent in 2012 to 15.8 percent in 2022, especially in high-income regions.
Micronutrient deficiencies, or “hidden hunger,” remain widespread. The global prevalence of anaemia among women aged 15 to 49 rose from 27.6 percent in 2012 to 30.7 percent in 2023. Only about one-third of children aged 6 to 23 months and two-thirds of women in this age group met minimum dietary diversity.
India’s Nutrition Challenge
India’s progress in reducing undernourishment has not fully translated into improved nutrition outcomes. While child stunting and wasting rates have declined, they remain high by global standards. Programs like ICDS and the mid-day meal scheme are helping, but experts stress the need for greater dietary diversity, micronutrient supplementation, and education to address persistent gaps.
What Will It Take to Achieve Zero Hunger by 2030?
Despite recent progress, the world is not on track to meet the Zero Hunger target by 2030. At the current rate of decline, at least 512 million people—most of them in Africa—will still be undernourished by the end of the decade. The FAO and its partners call for a bold reset, prioritizing evidence-driven action, investment in local food systems, and integrated nutrition services to build resilience and address long-term vulnerabilities.
IFAD President Alvaro Lario stated: “Investments in rural and agricultural transformation are essential for food and nutrition security and global stability.”
The World Bank and other international organizations emphasize the need for a balanced approach: combining short-term interventions (such as social protection and emergency food aid) with long-term strategies (like boosting productivity, climate-smart agriculture, and resilient supply chains). The Global Alliance for Food Security, launched in 2022, aims to coordinate policy and financial responses, but funding cuts threaten to reverse recent gains.
Key Strategies for Combating Hunger
- Rehabilitating degraded lands: Projects in India and China have shown that restoring marginal lands can boost productivity and food security.
- Improving agricultural practices: Sustainable farming, crop diversification, and better water management are crucial, especially in climate-vulnerable regions.
- Strengthening social protection: Expanding safety nets and nutrition programs can cushion the impact of shocks and reach the most vulnerable.
- Investing in rural infrastructure: Better roads, storage, and market access reduce food loss and improve incomes for smallholders.
- Empowering women and small farmers: Secure land rights, access to credit, and targeted support can drive inclusive growth and resilience.
Broader Implications: The Road Ahead for Global Food Security
The uneven progress highlighted in the FAO’s latest reports underscores the need for urgent, coordinated action. While India’s achievements offer hope and lessons for other countries, the rising tide of hunger in Africa and the Middle East is a stark reminder that global food security remains fragile. Climate change, conflict, and economic volatility threaten to undo hard-won gains.
Policymakers, international organizations, and local communities must work together to address both immediate needs and systemic challenges. This means investing in sustainable agriculture, building resilient food systems, and ensuring that everyone—regardless of where they live—can afford a healthy diet. The stakes are high: food security is not just a humanitarian issue, but a foundation for peace, stability, and sustainable development worldwide.
In Summary
- Global hunger declined to 8.2 percent in 2024, with 672 million people undernourished, but progress is slow and uneven.
- India led the world in reducing hunger, lifting 19.4 million people out of undernourishment in 2024 and nearly 47 million over two years.
- Asia and Latin America saw improvements, while hunger rose in Africa and the Middle East due to conflict, economic shocks, and climate extremes.
- Food prices remain volatile, with inflation hitting the poorest hardest and making healthy diets unaffordable for billions.
- Child stunting and wasting rates are declining, but obesity and micronutrient deficiencies are rising globally.
- The world is not on track to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030; at least 512 million people are projected to remain undernourished, mostly in Africa.
- Experts call for urgent, coordinated action: investing in sustainable agriculture, social protection, rural infrastructure, and nutrition programs.
- India’s experience demonstrates that targeted policies, investment, and resilience can drive rapid progress against hunger.
