UN food security report: hunger down, Africa still highest

The United Nations’ 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition (SOFI) report confirmed a third consecutive decline in global hunger, estimating 645 million people—7.8 % of the world’s population—were undernourished in 2025, about 14 million fewer than in 2024 and 43 million fewer than in 2022. Africa remains the hunger hotspot with roughly 309 million undernourished people (one in five Africans), while Asia’s figure fell to 292 million. Gains were strongest in Asia and Latin America, where prevalence dropped to 4.8 % (≈32 million people). Country‑level progress includes Venezuela’s reduction from 2.1 million to 1.5 million hungry and the Dominican Republic exiting the global hunger map after its undernutrition rate fell below 2.5 %.

The report also highlighted that 150 million children under five remain chronically undernourished worldwide, alongside a steep rise in the cost of a healthy diet (average $4.28 PPP per person per day) and growing obesity rates. It warned that conflicts—particularly in the Middle East—climate‑related shocks, and trade disruptions could stall or reverse recent gains.

Overall, 2.1 billion people (25.8 % of the global population) still face moderate or severe food insecurity, underscoring the need for continued investment in agricultural production, price‑stabilising policies, stronger food‑system resilience, and enhanced social‑protection measures.