UN reports global hunger decline in 2025

The United Nations released its annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report on July 21, 2026, showing that global hunger declined for a third consecutive year in 2025. Around 645 million people (7.8% of the global population) experienced hunger, down from 8.1% in 2024 and 8.6% in 2022. Progress was driven largely by gains in Asia, particularly India, as well as Americas and the Caribbean. Africa overtook Asia as the continent with the largest undernourished population, with 309 million people affected (20% of its population). The report also highlighted that 2.69 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, with the cost of a healthy diet rising 25% over five years to $4.28 per day. FAO chief economist Máximo Torero Cullen warned that geopolitical tensions (Strait of Hormuz disruptions) and a potentially strong El Niño–Southern Oscillation weather pattern pose significant risks to further progress. The war in Gaza has not materially altered chronic hunger figures, but conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to exacerbate acute food insecurity.