What percentage of the global population experienced food insecurity in 2025?

✓ Accepted answer

In 2025, approximately 27 percent of the global population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity.

This estimate is derived from the 2.1 billion people cited in the 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, produced jointly by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. While the specific percentage may vary slightly depending on the exact global population denominator used in the final 2025 census data, 2.1 billion represents a significant majority when calculated against the current world population of roughly 8 billion people. It is crucial to distinguish this figure from the 7.8 percent of the world’s population affected by hunger, which refers to undernourishment rather than the broader definition of food insecurity.

• Definition matters: Food insecurity includes both moderate and severe levels, capturing households that lack consistent access to adequate nutrition, whereas the 7.8 percent figure strictly tracks undernourishment.
• Uneven progress: Although global food security improved modestly in 2025, the 2026 report highlights that these gains are insufficient to meet 2030 Sustainable Development Goal targets.
• Regional disparities: The data shows meaningful signs of improvement in Africa for the first time since the 2030 Agenda adoption, yet persistent gaps remain for women, young children and rural communities.
• Policy focus: The 2026 assessment emphasizes the rising cost of healthy diets, urging governments to use policy levers to make nutritious foods more affordable and accessible to the 2.1 billion affected individuals.

admin · 2026-10-17 14:39:51