Global hunger declines to 645 million but Zero Hunger goal remains distant

The 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other UN agencies, indicates that while global hunger is declining, significant challenges remain. In 2025, approximately 645 million people faced hunger, a decrease of 14 million from 2024 and 43 million from 2022. Additionally, about 2.1 billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity.

Despite these improvements, progress is unevenly distributed. Africa has surpassed Asia as the region with the highest number of hungry people, totaling approximately 309 million. In contrast, Asia reported 292 million hungry individuals. Other regions, such as Latin America and the Caribbean, show steady progress, while North America and Europe maintain low levels of food insecurity.

The report warns that the foundation for these improvements is fragile due to multiple overlapping risks. Conflict remains a primary driver of food insecurity, while extreme weather events linked to El Niño threaten agricultural stability. Furthermore, rising costs of healthy diets mean nearly one-third of the global population cannot afford nutritious food. Projections suggest that between 510 and 520 million people may still face hunger by 2030, complicating the achievement of the United Nations ‘Zero Hunger’ goal.