The report, titled The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) and released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), indicates that approximately 8.2 percent of the world’s population—about 673 million people—suffered from hunger in 2024. This represents a decline from previous years, falling from 8.7 percent in 2022 and 8.5 percent in 2023.
While the overarching global statistics show a downward trend, international leaders emphasize that progress remains starkly uneven across regions. Between 638 and 720 million people faced hunger last year, reflecting a decrease of approximately 15 million from 2023 and 22 million from 2022.
“While it is encouraging to see a decrease in the global hunger rate, we must recognize that progress is uneven,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu in a press release. “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, organizations, and communities to address the specific challenges faced by vulnerable populations, especially in regions where hunger remains persistent.”
Regionally, the data reveals significant disparities. The number of undernourished people in Asia fell to 6.7 percent last year, down from 7.9 percent two years earlier. Latin America and the Caribbean also recorded measurable improvements, with undernourishment dropping to 5.1 percent of the population—representing 34 million people—in 2024, following a peak of 6.1 percent in 2020.
In sharp contrast, those positive trends are heavily offset by a steady escalation of hunger across Africa and western Asia, particularly in nations grappling with prolonged food crises and conflict. The proportion of the population facing hunger in Africa surpassed 20 percent in 2024, impacting 307 million people. Meanwhile, in western Asia, an estimated 12.7 percent of the population, or more than 39 million individuals, faced hunger during the same period.
Beyond severe hunger, broader measures of food security also show modest improvements globally. The proportion of people experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity—meaning they faced constraints on adequate food access for part of the year—decreased to 28 percent in 2024, translating to roughly 2.3 billion people. This is a slight drop from 28.4 percent in 2023.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that while international efforts have yielded positive outcomes in specific areas, substantial challenges remain. “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,” Dr. Tedros said.
Looking ahead, the report projects that an estimated 512 million people could experience chronic undernourishment by 2030, with nearly 60 percent of those individuals located in Africa. Agencies including the FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and the WHO warn that these projections underscore the immense difficulty of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger.
The persistent crisis is deeply tied to the economic shockwaves of recent years. The report closely examined the causes and consequences of the global food price surge between 2021 and 2023, analyzing how inflation directly disrupted global food security and nutrition. Persistent food price inflation—driven by a combination of policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic fallout of Russia’s war in Ukraine, and extreme weather events across the globe—has severely hindered post-2020 recoveries in public health, nutrition, and food accessibility.
Low-income nations have borne the heaviest burden of these economic pressures. While median global food price inflation increased from 2.3 percent in December 2020 to 13.6 percent in early 2023, it escalated far more rapidly in low-income countries, peaking at a staggering 30 percent in May 2023.
Consequently, the affordability of a healthy diet remains a major barrier for billions. On a global scale, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet fell to 2.6 billion last year, down from 2.76 billion in 2019. However, that encouraging global average masks a deteriorating situation in vulnerable economies.
In low-income countries, the number of people who could not afford a healthy diet rose to 544.7 million last year—representing 72 percent of the population—up from 464 million five years earlier. In lower-middle-income nations outside of India, that figure climbed to 869 million, compared to 791 million during the same five-year timeframe.
International development leaders argue that targeted economic interventions are essential to reverse these trends and protect vulnerable populations from future shocks.
“In times of rising food prices and disrupted global value chains, we must step up our investments in rural and agricultural transformation,” said IFAD President Alvaro Lario. “These investments are not only essential for ensuring food and nutrition security—they are also critical for global stability.”
To address these systemic issues, the report outlines a comprehensive set of policy recommendations. These include the implementation of transparent and credible monetary policies designed to contain inflationary pressures; time-bound and targeted fiscal measures, such as social protection programs, to shield vulnerable households; and strategic investments in agrifood research and development. Additionally, the report emphasizes the need for enhanced market information systems to boost resilience and productivity, alongside vital upgrades to rural transportation and production infrastructure.
Child nutrition remains one of the most critical areas of concern highlighted by the UN agencies. Early childhood undernutrition carries long-term consequences that can permanently alter a person’s physical and cognitive development.
“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,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
Russell stressed that collaborative action among governments, the private sector, and local communities is vital to guarantee that families have reliable access to affordable, nutrient-rich foods. Such measures must include the expansion of robust social protection safety nets and educational initiatives for parents regarding locally sourced nutritious foods, including the promotion of breastfeeding to give infants the healthiest possible start in life.
