Global hunger declines for third year, but healthy diets remain unaffordable for billions: UN report
A United Nations report indicates that global hunger has decreased for the third consecutive year, with 645 million people, or 7.8% of the world's population, experiencing hunger in 2025. This marks a decline from 8.1% in 2024 and 8.6% in 2022. Improvements were noted across all continents, notably in Asia, particularly India, and in Latin America and the Caribbean. While some African nations are showing progress, the continent still has the largest undernourished population with 309 million affected, representing one in five Africans. Experts anticipate a continued decline in global hunger by 2030, but warn that climate shocks and trade disruptions pose significant threats to these advancements.
Geopolitical tensions and climate phenomena like a strong El Niño could further strain global food systems. Disruptions in key shipping routes, such as the Strait of Hormuz, are increasing costs for fuel, fertilizers, and transportation, thereby raising food production expenses worldwide. Despite the progress in reducing hunger, the report highlights persistent issues with child malnutrition and worsening anemia among women, alongside a steady rise in adult obesity. A significant challenge remains the affordability of healthy diets, with an estimated 2.69 billion people unable to afford a healthy diet, costing an average of $4.28 per day. This affordability gap is most pronounced in Africa, where 66.1% of the population cannot afford nutritious food, exacerbated by poor infrastructure, limited cold storage, and inadequate transport networks.
The UN report presents a nuanced picture of global food security, showing positive trends in hunger reduction while simultaneously highlighting persistent challenges in accessing nutritious food. The data suggests that while macro-level interventions may be effective in combating severe hunger, systemic issues related to the cost and availability of healthy diets continue to affect billions. Geopolitical instability and climate change are identified as critical risk factors, underscoring the fragility of global food supply chains. Future policy efforts will likely need to address not only food production and distribution but also economic accessibility to healthy food, potentially requiring innovative approaches to agricultural productivity, market access, and social safety nets, especially in vulnerable regions like Africa. The report implicitly points to the need for resilience-building strategies against external shocks and a deeper examination of the economic structures that perpetuate dietary inequities.
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