Around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, which is equivalent to one in 11 people globally and one in five people in Africa, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report.
An “alarming number” of people continue to face food insecurity and malnutrition as global hunger levels have plateaued for three consecutive years, the report published by five United Nations (UN) specialised agencies shows.
The world has been “set back” 15 years, with levels of undernourishment comparable to those in 2008-2009, with between 713 and 757 million people undernourished in 2023, according to the report published today (Wednesday, July 24).
The percentage of the population facing hunger continues to rise in Africa (20.4%), while remaining stable in Asia (8.1%). Progress has been made in Latin America (6.2%), while hunger increased in western Asia, the Caribbean, and most African sub-regions.
The annual report warns that if current trends continue, about 582 million people will be chronically undernourished in 2030, half of them in Africa, “falling significantly short” of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger by 2030.
The report was published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Hunger and food insecurity
In 2023, around 2.33 billion people globally faced moderate or severe food insecurity. Among those, over 864 million people experienced severe food insecurity, going without food for an entire day or more at times, the report shows.
This number has remained stubbornly high since 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and while Latin America shows improvement, broader challenges persist, especially in Africa where 58% of the population is moderately or severely food insecure.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report defines “hunger”, “severe food insecurity”, “malnutrition” and “undernourishment” as follows:
- Hunger: an uncomfortable or painful sensation caused by insufficient energy from diet;
- Severe food insecurity: a level of severity of food insecurity at which, at some time during the year, people have run out of food, experienced hunger and at the most extreme, gone without food for a day or more;
- Malnutrition: an abnormal physiological condition caused by inadequate, unbalanced or excessive intake of macronutrients and/or micronutrients and/or by disease that causes weight loss;
- Undernourishment: a condition in which an individual’s habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the amount of dietary energy required to maintain a normal, active and healthy life.
Food insecurity and malnutrition are worsening due to a combination of factors, including persisting food price inflation that continues to erode economic gains for many people in many countries, according to the five UN agencies.
Major drivers like conflict, climate change, and economic downturns are becoming more frequent and severe. These issues, along with underlying factors such as unaffordable healthy diets, unhealthy food environments and persistent inequality, are now amplifying their individual effects, the report states.
This year’s report theme “Financing to end hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition’’ emphasises that achieving zero hunger requires a transformation of agri-food systems, addressing inequalities, and ensuring affordable and accessible healthy diets.
The report authors highlighted that the “looming financing gap” necessitates innovative, equitable solutions, particularly for countries facing high levels of hunger and malnutrition exacerbated by climate impacts.
Among the 119 low- and middle-income countries analysed, approximately 63% have limited or moderate access to financing. The majority of these countries (74%) are impacted by one or more major factors contributing to food insecurity and malnutrition.
