Global Food Security

Global food security means that all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. The latest UN and partner agency data show that between **638 and 720 million people** were hungry in 2024—about 8–9% of the world’s population. At the same time, an estimated **2.3 billion people** experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, struggling at times to get enough to eat.

Even when calories are available, healthy diets remain out of reach. The cost of a nutritious diet has risen to about **$4.46 (PPP) per person per day**, leaving **2.6 billion people** unable to afford it. This gap between basic survival and truly adequate nutrition is now one of the central challenges in food security debates.

Data from the USDA’s Global Food Assessment suggest that food access **may improve in 2025** in many low- and middle‑income countries as incomes rise and food price inflation eases. In Asia, the share of food‑insecure people is projected to drop sharply, helped by economic growth and lower rice prices.

But this progress is uneven. Sub‑Saharan Africa is expected to have over **330 million food‑insecure people** in 2025, the highest number and share among assessed regions. Conflict‑affected states such as Sudan, South Sudan, and Haiti face particularly severe crises, where local production has collapsed and markets barely function.

Recent global reports highlight a **dangerous mix of drivers** behind today’s food crises: armed conflict, climate extremes, economic shocks, and persistent food price inflation. In many countries, war destroys farms and infrastructure, displaces people, and pushes households to the brink of famine.

Climate change is amplifying droughts, floods, and heatwaves, which wipe out harvests and livestock and disrupt supply chains. At the same time, higher food prices erode purchasing power, especially for the poor, slowing the post‑pandemic recovery in food security. Adding to the challenge, humanitarian funding for food responses in crisis countries is projected to fall by up to **45%**, just as acute hunger hits record highs.

Hunger is not evenly shared. The 2025 UN food security report notes that **women and rural communities** consistently face higher food insecurity than men and urban residents. Rural households often depend on climate‑sensitive agriculture and have weaker safety nets, leaving them highly vulnerable to shocks.

Children bear lifelong consequences. In 2024, about **23% of children under five** were affected by stunting and 6.6% by wasting, with spikes in wasting closely linked to food price surges. These early nutrition deficits can permanently affect health, learning, and economic prospects, reinforcing cycles of poverty and hunger.

Experts argue that tackling global food insecurity requires more than emergency aid—it demands **transforming food systems**. Priorities include investing in climate‑resilient agriculture, protecting smallholder farmers, reducing food loss and waste, and building fairer, more transparent trade so food can move quickly during crises.

Policies that cushion people from price shocks—such as targeted cash transfers, school meals, and nutrition‑sensitive social protection—have already helped some countries limit the damage of inflation. But without sustained investment and political will, projections suggest hundreds of millions will still be hungry by 2030, far from the promise of Zero Hunger.