Addis Ababa, 28 July 2025 — According to the recently released State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2025 report, hunger has somewhat decreased globally, but there are still large gaps, with hunger increasing in Western Asia and Africa. The yearly report, which was presented at the Second UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa, presents a conflicting picture of the state of efforts to eradicate hunger and malnutrition.
An estimated 673 million people, or 8.2 percent of the world’s population, went hungry in 2024, according to a report jointly released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), and World Health Organization (WHO). Compared to 8.7 percent in 2022 and 8.5 percent in 2023, this represents a slight decline.
Yet the picture is far from universally positive.
“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. “We need to intensify efforts, particularly in regions where hunger remains persistent.”
Hunger Crisis Rises in Africa and Western Asia
Despite global improvements, Africa and Western Asia are facing a deepening food crisis. In Africa, over 20 percent of the population, roughly 307 million people, faced hunger in 2024. In Western Asia, hunger affected 12.7 percent of the population, or more than 39 million individuals.
Many of these regions are grappling with prolonged conflict, climate shocks, and economic disruptions. The report predicts that by 2030, 512 million people will still suffer from chronic undernourishment, with nearly 60 percent of them living in Africa.
“In times of rising food prices and disrupted global value chains, we must step up our investments in rural and agricultural transformation,” -IFAD President Alvaro Lario.
Progress in Asia and Latin America
Southern Asia and Latin America have made notable strides in combating hunger. The prevalence of undernourishment in Asia dropped to 6.7 percent (about 323 million people) in 2024, down from 7.9 percent in 2022. Latin America and the Caribbean also saw improvement, with undernourishment falling to 5.1 percent, the lowest in recent years.
These gains were attributed to improved governance, stronger food systems, and greater access to social protection programs.
Child Nutrition
SOFI 2025 also tracked key nutrition indicators, showing mixed results:
- Stunting in children under five declined from 26.4 percent in 2012 to 23.2 percent in 2024, signaling global progress in child growth and development.
- Wasting and overweight among children remained relatively unchanged over the last decade.
- Exclusive breastfeeding rates increased significantly, from 37 percent in 2012 to 47.8 percent in 2023.
- Anaemia among women rose to 30.7 percent in 2023, up from 27.6 percent in 2012, highlighting ongoing gender disparities in nutrition.
“Every child deserves the chance to grow and thrive,”
“Yet over 190 million children under five are affected by undernutrition. This robs them of the chance to live to their fullest potential.” -UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
Russell emphasized the importance of educating families on nutritious local diets, breastfeeding, and investing in community-led health initiatives.
Food Insecurity and Inflation
Between 2023 and 2024, the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity fell slightly from 28.4 percent to 28.0 percent, still affecting 2.3 billion people globally. This is 335 million more than before the COVID-19 pandemic and a staggering 683 million more than in 2015 when the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted.
One of the key contributors to persistent food insecurity has been soaring food inflation.
The report links recent food price spikes to pandemic-related monetary policies, the war in Ukraine, and extreme weather events. Food inflation peaked at 13.6 percent in January 2023, outpacing general inflation by over 5 percentage points. Low-income countries have borne the brunt of these increases, with food inflation reaching 30 percent in some regions.
“Hunger remains at alarming levels, yet the funding needed to tackle it is falling,”
“Last year, WFP reached 124 million people. This year, due to funding cuts, tens of millions will lose the lifeline we provide.” -WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain.
Affordability of Healthy Diets
Despite high prices, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet dropped slightly from 2.76 billion in 2019 to 2.60 billion in 2024. However, this global improvement masks troubling regional disparities.
In low-income countries, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet rose from 464 million in 2019 to 545 million in 2024. In lower-middle-income countries, the number soared from 79 million to 869 million, excluding India.
New data also reveal that:
- Only one-third of children aged 6 to 23 months meet the minimum dietary diversity.
- Just two-thirds of women of reproductive age consume adequately diverse diets.
“This report provides encouraging news but also shows where the gaps are and who is being left behind,”
“We must ensure everyone has access to a healthy and nutritious diet.” -WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Policy Recommendations
To combat food inflation and hunger, SOFI 2025 outlines a three-pronged policy approach:
- Time-bound fiscal interventions, such as targeted social protection schemes, to support vulnerable households.
- Transparent and credible monetary policies to control inflation without triggering food system shocks.
- Strategic investments in agriculture research and development, transportation, infrastructure, and market systems to enhance resilience.
About SOFI 2025
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World is an annual flagship report jointly produced by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO. It monitors progress toward global food security and nutrition targets, including the SDGs, and provides data to guide policy and humanitarian responses.
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