Brazil Maintains "Out of Hunger Map" Status with Improved Food Security Indicators
A United Nations report released on Tuesday, March 21st, indicates that Brazil has improved its food security indicators and has remained off the "Hunger Map" for the second consecutive year. The country has reached its lowest recorded level of severe food insecurity, affecting only 0.6% of the population. Between 2023 and 2025, an estimated 16.7 million people transitioned out of this condition. The Hunger Map, compiled by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), assesses the population's access to sufficient food for a healthy and active life. Brazil had previously exited the Hunger Map in 2014, but was reclassified due to increased food insecurity between 2018 and 2020. Currently, less than 2.5% of the population is at risk of undernourishment, defined as habitually consuming fewer calories than necessary for a healthy life. Globally, the report estimates that 7.8% of the world's population faced hunger in 2025, a decrease from 8.1% in 2024 and 8.6% in 2022. Approximately 645 million people experienced hunger in the triennium ending in 2025, nearly 14 million fewer than in the previous triennium. The proportion of Brazilians unable to afford a healthy diet also declined, standing at 21.1% for the triennium ending in 2025. The FAO calculates these figures using macroeconomic and demographic indicators, including population size, income profiles, and the average cost of a healthy food basket. The daily cost of a healthy diet in Brazil was US$4.89 (Purchasing Power Parity), which is below the averages for South America (US$4.94) and Latin America and the Caribbean (US$4.91).
The UN report highlights Brazil's progress in food security, a positive development indicating potential effectiveness of national policies aimed at reducing hunger and undernourishment. While the reduction in severe food insecurity and the cost of healthy diets are encouraging, the persistent challenge of affordability for over 21% of the population suggests that economic factors and income inequality remain critical determinants of food access. As global food systems face increasing pressures from climate change and geopolitical instability, Brazil's continued efforts to maintain food security will be crucial. Future policy considerations might focus on strengthening social safety nets and addressing the underlying economic drivers that impact the affordability of nutritious food for all segments of society, ensuring resilience against future shocks.
AI-generated to prompt reflection — not editorial opinion, not advice, not a statement of fact. How this works.