Global Hunger: Examining Nutritional Challenges and Spatial Factors Across the Globe
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, regional inequalities, and gender impacts, the global food insecurity landscape has undergone significant changes.
Urban food insecurity has emerged as a pressing concern, with over 1.7 billion people facing food insecurity in urban and peri-urban areas worldwide. This shift challenges the long-held assumption that rural areas are more vulnerable to food insecurity.
Despite this, global hunger slightly decreased in 2024 compared to the previous years, with 8.2% of the population (approximately 673 million people) experiencing hunger, down from 8.5% in 2023.
However, food price inflation remains a major concern. Since 2020, food price inflation has consistently outpaced general inflation, peaking at 13.6% globally in January 2023. Rising food prices have hindered recovery in food security and made healthy diets increasingly unaffordable in poorer countries.
Regional disparities in the affordability of healthy diets have also widened. Although the total number of people unable to afford a healthy diet fell from 2.76 billion in 2019 to 2.60 billion in 2024, this masks severe regional disparities. In low-income countries, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet rose from 464 million to 545 million.
Africa, unlike Southern Asia and South America, continues to grapple with growing food insecurity. While there has been some global progress, hunger has increased in parts of Africa.
Women have been disproportionately affected by these trends. Despite not being explicitly detailed in the data, it is widely documented that women, who are often responsible for food preparation and family nutrition, face increased barriers to food access and economic hardship during crises like the pandemic.
Moreover, over 2.3 billion people worldwide experience moderate to severe levels of food insecurity. In some African countries, such as South Sudan and Madagascar, more than 90% of the population cannot afford a healthy diet. In cases of severe food insecurity, people may go for entire days without eating.
In Europe and North America, 8.4% of the population faces moderate to severe food insecurity.
In summary, the pandemic's legacy combined with inflation, conflict, and climate impacts has created a fragmented recovery. Some regions and income groups see improvement, while urban food insecurity rises, low-income countries struggle with price spikes, and vulnerable populations—including women—face increasing challenges. The inability to afford nutritious food remains a major driver of food insecurity worldwide.
- Food insecurity in urban and peri-urban areas of Africa, Asia, Europe, America, and other regions has risen significantly, with over 2.3 billion people experiencing moderate to severe levels of food insecurity worldwide.
- Despite a slight decrease in global hunger in 2024, food price inflation remains a major concern, particularly in poorer countries, where rising food prices have made healthy diets increasingly unaffordable.
- The affordability of healthy diets has widened regional disparities, with the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet in low-income countries, such as Africa, increasing from 464 million to 545 million.
- Although women were not explicitly detailed in the data, it is widely documented that they face increased barriers to food access and economic hardship during crises like the pandemic, due to their roles in food preparation and family nutrition.
- In the world of health-and-wellness, nutrition, and lifestyle, food-and-drink choices remain a crucial factor in addressing food insecurity, with the inability to afford nutritious food a major driver of the problem globally.
