WORLD - Global hunger declined for the third consecutive year in 2025, with an estimated 645 million people experiencing hunger worldwide.
However, access to nutritious food remains a major challenge as billions continue to struggle with the cost of a healthy diet, according to the 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report released by five United Nations agencies.
The report found that 7.8% of the global population faced hunger in 2025, down from 8.1% in 2024, indicating gradual progress in efforts to reduce food insecurity.
However, the UN warned that improvements remain uneven across regions and are still insufficient to meet the Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by 2030.
Regional Improvements, Persistent Gaps
According to the report, progress in reducing hunger was mainly driven by improvements in Asia, particularly India, as well as gains recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The trend of worsening hunger in Africa showed signs of slowing, although the continent continues to face some of the world’s most severe food security challenges.
Despite the decline in global hunger figures, around 2.1 billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025, meaning they lacked regular access to enough safe and nutritious food.
The report stressed that conflicts, economic instability, climate-related shocks, and weak food systems continue to threaten progress, leaving millions vulnerable to sudden increases in food prices and disruptions in food supplies.
Healthy Diets Remain Beyond Reach
A central focus of the 2026 report was the affordability of healthy diets. While fewer people struggled to afford nutritious food compared with previous years, an estimated 2.69 billion people worldwide still could not afford a healthy diet in 2025.
The UN said the main challenge is not simply the availability of food, but the high cost of accessing a balanced diet containing essential nutrients. Basic calorie-rich foods are often cheaper, while fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins, and other nutrient-dense products remain financially out of reach for many households.
The average global cost of a healthy diet reached $4.28 in purchasing power parity (PPP) per person per day in 2025, increasing from previous years.
Although the number of people unable to afford such diets declined from 2.97 billion in 2021 to 2.69 billion in 2025, affordability remains a major barrier, particularly in low-income regions.
Africa recorded the highest level of difficulty accessing nutritious food, with 66.6% of its population unable to afford a healthy diet in 2025. The figure highlights deep inequalities linked to poverty, food prices, limited infrastructure, and economic vulnerability.
Nutrition Challenges Beyond Hunger
The report warned that food insecurity is contributing to a broader global nutrition crisis. While millions lack access to sufficient nutritious food, unhealthy processed foods are often cheaper and more accessible, contributing to rising rates of overweight, obesity, and diet-related diseases.
The UN called for stronger investments in agricultural systems, social protection programmes, food supply chains, and policies that reduce the cost of nutritious foods. It said improving access to healthy diets will require addressing the economic and structural factors that shape what people can afford to eat.
Although the decline in hunger marks a positive development, the report cautioned that achieving global food security will require faster action to address inequality, affordability, and the growing pressures facing food systems.
