Global Hunger Falls For Third Year, Africa Remains Hardest Hit: UN Report | The Reporter Ethiopia
Global hunger declined for the third consecutive year in 2025, but progress remains fragile and uneven, with Africa continuing to bear the heaviest burden, according to The State of Food Security and. . .
Global hunger declined for the third consecutive year in 2025, but progress remains fragile and uneven, with Africa continuing to bear the heaviest burden, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 report released on Tuesday. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly authored the report. It indicates that 7. 8 percent of the global population faced hunger in 2025, down from 8. 1 percent in 2024 and 8. 6 percent in 2022. The figure represents 645 million people affected by hunger in 2025, marking a reduction of nearly 14 million people compared with 2024 and 43 million compared with 2022. From The Reporter MagazineThe report further stated that 25. 8 percent of the global population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, equivalent to around 2. 1 billion people. The figure declined from 27. 1 percent in 2024 and 28. 7 percent in 2020, representing nearly 86 million fewer people affected compared with 2024 and 135 million fewer than in 2020. The report also revealed significant geographic variations in food access. Africa recorded 309 million hungry people in 2025, compared with 292 million in Asia, according to the report. The proportion of Africa’s population facing hunger stood at 20. 0 percent in 2025, down from 20. 3 percent in 2024. From The Reporter MagazineIt added that 56. 6 percent of Africa’s population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, compared with 20. 3 percent in Asia and 22. 9 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean. Northern America and Europe recorded the lowest level of moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, with 8. 7 percent of their combined population affected. The report stated that the global average cost of a healthy diet reached 4. 28 purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars per person per day in 2025, up from 3. 44 dollars in 2021. In Africa, 66. 6 percent of the population could not afford a healthy diet in 2025, according to the report. It added that post-farmgate activities, including processing, logistics, and wholesale, accounted for 70 to 75 percent of the total costs paid by consumers. The heads of the five UN agencies highlighted the need for sustained action, investment, and stronger policies to address persistent hunger and improve access to affordable, nutritious diets. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said the findings demonstrate that progress in reducing hunger is possible but requires faster action, stronger commitments, and sustained investment. “The report shows that progress is possible, but we must move faster. Ending hunger and making healthy diets affordable requires political commitment, sustained investment and enabling policies,” QU said. WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau said conflicts and climate-related shocks continue to increase pressure on vulnerable households by raising food costs and limiting access to nutritious diets. “Behind every number in this report is a family counting the cost of food. Conflict and climate shocks push them further beyond their means,” Skau said. IFAD President Alvaro Lario highlighted the importance of strengthening food systems and value chains to make healthy diets more affordable. He said the report showed that the rising cost of healthy diets remains a major challenge, requiring investment and partnerships to improve food systems. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that despite progress in reducing hunger, access to healthy diets remains out of reach for many people worldwide. “While we welcome the clear progress we have made in reducing hunger, a healthy diet still remains unaffordable for one in three people globally,” he said. The report linked hunger projections over the next five years to the conflict in the Middle East, estimating that 510 million to 520 million people could face hunger in 2030 due to higher energy and fertilizer prices. Reports from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund detailed how the Middle East conflict affected the global economy in 2026. World Bank data showed that shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz reduced global oil supply by 10 million barrels per day, driving global energy prices up by 24 percent and fertilizer prices by 31 percent. The IMF also lowered its 2026 global growth forecast to 3. 0 percent, citing elevated fuel costs, trade barriers, and reduced fiscal capacity among developing food-importing nations.