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Global hunger declined for a third consecutive year in 2025, with about 645 million people (7.8% of the world’s population) experiencing hunger, down from 8.1% in 2024 and 8.6% in 2022, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report by five United Nations agencies.
Despite the global improvement, Africa remains the region most affected, with 309 million people roughly one in every five Africans still facing hunger.
Key Highlights
- Global hunger fell to 7.8% of the world’s population in 2025, continuing a positive three-year trend.
- Asia led the improvement, driven largely by India’s welfare programmes and stronger agricultural productivity.
- Latin America and the Caribbean also recorded notable progress.
- Africa recorded a slight decline in hunger for the first time in years, with countries such as Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Senegal and Zambia showing improvements.
- The Dominican Republic has been removed from the global hunger map.
Risks That Could Reverse Progress
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that recent gains remain fragile due to:
- Climate risks, including the possibility of a strong El Niño, which could reduce agricultural production.
- Geopolitical tensions, particularly disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which are increasing the cost of fuel, fertilizers and transport, pushing up food production costs globally.
Africa’s Ongoing Challenges
Although hunger has eased slightly, Africa continues to face major structural obstacles:
- Weak transport infrastructure.
- Limited cold-storage facilities.
- High costs of transporting fresh foods.
- Regulatory and non-tariff barriers that restrict food trade between neighbouring countries.
These factors make nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat significantly more expensive.
Healthy Diets Still Unaffordable
The report estimates that 2.69 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet, which costs an average of $4.28 per day (purchasing-power-parity basis).
In Africa, 66.1% of the population cannot afford a healthy diet, more than double the share in Asia and Latin America.
Nutrition Concerns Persist
While hunger is declining, the report warns that:
- Child malnutrition remains high.
- Anaemia among women continues to worsen.
- Adult obesity is increasing worldwide.
Outlook
The UN expects global hunger to continue declining toward 2030 if current progress is sustained. However, the combination of climate shocks, geopolitical instability and disruptions to global trade could quickly reverse these gains, particularly in vulnerable regions such as Africa.
Source: Reuters
Reporter: Giselda Vagnoni and Oriana Boselli
Editing :Keith Weir