Over 673 million people worldwide faced hunger in 2024, according to the UN’s SOFI 2025 report. Despite a slight global decline, hunger rose in Africa and Western Asia. The report warns of worsening food insecurity due to inflation, conflict, and climate change, urging targeted global policy action.
More than 673 million people around the world—representing approximately 8.2% of the global population—suffered from hunger in 2024, according to a new United Nations report released on Monday. The findings are part of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2025 report, jointly published by five UN agencies.
While this figure reflects a marginal improvement compared to 2023 (8.5%) and 2022 (8.7%), the report warns that the global decline in hunger is not uniform. In fact, hunger continues to intensify in several regions, particularly in Africa and western Asia.
Africa and Western Asia Face Escalating Hunger Crisis
The report paints a troubling picture for Africa, where more than 20% of the population—approximately 307 million people—faced hunger in 2024. Western Asia also witnessed a rise in hunger, with 12.7% of the population, or over 39 million individuals, affected.
This regional disparity in hunger levels underlines the uneven progress made towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2): Zero Hunger. “While it is encouraging to see a decrease in the global hunger rate, we must recognise that progress is uneven,” said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu during the launch of the report at the Second UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. “SOFI 2025 serves as a critical reminder that we need to intensify efforts to ensure that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.”
Long-Term Hunger Forecast Alarming
The report offers a sobering forecast for the next five years. If current trends continue, 512 million people could be chronically undernourished by 2030. Alarmingly, almost 60% of them are expected to be in Africa, signaling deep-rooted structural challenges and vulnerabilities.
Factors Driving Hunger: Inflation, Conflict, and Climate Events
The SOFI 2025 report highlights multiple factors that have exacerbated hunger in recent years. While the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic—marked by large-scale fiscal and monetary interventions—initially softened the blow, its long-term economic consequences are now being felt. Wars, extreme weather events, and persistent global inflation have contributed to an unstable food environment.
Food price inflation, in particular, has proven to be a major barrier to post-pandemic recovery. Vulnerable populations in low-income countries have been hardest hit, unable to afford basic food items due to rising costs. “In recent years, the world has made good progress in reducing stunting and supporting exclusive breastfeeding,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “But there is still much to be done to relieve millions of people from the burdens of food insecurity and malnutrition.”
Recommended Policy Responses
To address the multifaceted nature of hunger and food insecurity, the report recommends a blend of targeted policy measures. These include:
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Time-bound fiscal interventions, such as social protection programs aimed at safeguarding vulnerable households;
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Monetary policies focused on controlling inflation;
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Continued investment in climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable food systems;
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Strengthening international cooperation to support regions hardest hit by food crises.
The UN agencies stress that only through coordinated, global, and regionally-sensitive action can the world hope to achieve the goal of Zero Hunger by 2030.
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Despite a minor drop in global hunger figures, the overall picture remains grim, especially for Africa and Western Asia. As inflation, conflict, and climate change continue to jeopardize food security, urgent action is needed to build equitable, resilient, and sustainable food systems. The SOFI 2025 report is a stark call for the global community to intensify its efforts to ensure that hunger is not just reduced, but eradicated.
