New Delhi: July 24, 2026
A new United Nations report has raised serious concerns over worsening global food insecurity, revealing that around 645 million people experienced hunger in 2025, while nearly one in every three people worldwide could not afford a healthy diet.
The findings are part of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2026 report, prepared by UN agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the report, rising food prices, climate change, armed conflicts, economic instability, and supply chain disruptions continue to threaten global food security. These factors have made nutritious food increasingly unaffordable, particularly for low- and middle-income countries.
The report notes that Africa has become the region most severely affected by hunger, overtaking other regions for the first time since 2017. Frequent droughts, floods, erratic rainfall, and other climate-related disasters have significantly reduced agricultural productivity across many parts of the continent.
Researchers also highlighted that the cost of maintaining a healthy diet has increased sharply in recent years due to higher prices for food, fertilizers, fuel, and transportation. These rising costs have disproportionately affected vulnerable communities, increasing the risk of malnutrition.
Although the report does not provide a separate country-specific assessment for India, its findings underline the importance of strengthening food security measures, improving agricultural resilience, and investing in sustainable local food systems.
The UN agencies have urged governments to build stronger and more resilient food supply chains capable of withstanding climate shocks, geopolitical tensions, and economic uncertainties. They stressed that coordinated global action is essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030.
Key Highlights
- 645 million people faced hunger globally in 2025.
- Nearly one-third of the world’s population could not afford a healthy diet.
- Climate change, conflicts, and inflation remain major drivers of food insecurity.
- Africa is now the region most affected by hunger.
- The UN calls for resilient food systems and stronger global cooperation to tackle the crisis.
