Africa continues to carry the heaviest hunger burden as climate shocks, trade risks and food affordability pressures threaten fragile global improvements in nutrition.
Global hunger declined for the third consecutive year in 2025, but millions of people remain at risk as climate shocks, geopolitical tensions and disruptions to global trade threaten hard-won progress, according to a new United Nations report.
Around 645 million people, or 7.8% of the world’s population, experienced hunger in 2025, down from 8.1% in 2024 and 8.6% in 2022, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025 report. The report was jointly prepared by five UN agencies.
The decline marks the first recent period in which hunger levels improved across every continent, offering cautious optimism for global food security. However, behind the figures are millions of families struggling to access affordable and nutritious food amid rising living costs, climate disasters and economic uncertainty.
Africa remained the region with the highest burden of hunger. About 309 million people on the continent faced undernourishment in 2025, equivalent to one in every five Africans.
“The big difference from previous years is that this year the rate of hunger has declined in all continents, including Africa, although very, very slightly,” told Máximo Torero, chief economist at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Progress was driven largely by improvements in Asia, particularly India, as well as Latin America and the Caribbean. India, home to nearly one-fifth of the global population, saw hunger fall below 10%, supported by targeted welfare programmes and increased agricultural productivity.
Several African countries, including Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Senegal and Zambia, also showed early signs of recovery after years of worsening food insecurity.
Despite these gains, experts warned that the global food system remains vulnerable. Rising geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions and extreme weather events could reverse progress, particularly in developing countries already facing climate-related challenges.
The FAO highlighted concerns over possible disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for energy and agricultural supplies. Higher costs for fuel, fertilisers and transportation could increase food production expenses and put further pressure on vulnerable populations.
A potentially strong El Niño weather pattern could add to these challenges by affecting rainfall, crop production and agricultural livelihoods in climate-sensitive regions.
“We hope the trend won’t change, but there are several risks affecting us right now,” Torero said.
Climate change is increasingly shaping the global hunger crisis, as floods, droughts, heatwaves and unpredictable weather patterns damage crops, reduce agricultural productivity and threaten the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers.
The report projected that global hunger could continue declining towards 2030, but warned that significant challenges remain. Child malnutrition continues to be widespread, anaemia among women is worsening, and adult obesity is rising globally.
Access to healthy food also remains a major challenge. The report estimated that 2.69 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet, which costs an average of $4.28 per day based on purchasing power parity.
The affordability crisis is most severe in Africa, where 66.1% of people cannot afford a healthy diet. Experts said weak infrastructure, limited cold-storage facilities, poor transport networks and barriers to regional food trade make nutritious food more expensive and less accessible.
The situation highlights the urgent need for stronger investment in climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable food systems, social protection and fairer global trade policies.
For millions of climate-vulnerable communities, particularly in developing countries, tackling hunger will require more than increasing food production. It will depend on building resilient economies that can withstand climate shocks and ensure nutritious food reaches those who need it most.
Experts said sustaining recent progress will require global cooperation, greater climate finance and long-term investment in food security to prevent future crises.
