A new United Nations interagency report—The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025 (SOFI 2025)—reveals that global hunger edged down slightly in 2024, but food insecurity in Africa continued to rise, underscoring widening regional inequalities in nutrition and diet access.
Worldwide, an estimated 673 million people (about 8.2 %) faced chronic hunger in 2024, a modest decline from 8.5 % in 2023 and 8.7 % in 2022 {index=0}. Though encouraging, this drop still leaves the world above pre‑pandemic levels and far from the UN’s Zero Hunger goal for 2030.
SOFI 2025 documents sharp disparities across regions. South‑eastern and southern Asia and Latin America posted notable reductions in hunger, buoyed by strong social protection programs and agricultural productivity gains. But Africa, in contrast, saw a steady increase—over 307 million Africans, or more than one in five people, were undernourished in 2024
The report projects that by 2030 nearly 60 % of the world’s chronically hungry population—an expected 512 million people—will reside in Africa
SOFI highlights food price inflation as a critical driver of hunger. While global inflation averaged significantly lower, food prices surged—peaking at 13.6 % in January 2023—crippling purchasing power in low‑income countries In Africa, food inflation outpaced general inflation, pushing the cost of a healthy diet beyond reach for approximately **one billion people**, up from 864 million in 2019
At the global level, the number unable to afford a healthy diet dropped to about 2.6 billion in 2024, compared to 2.76 billion in 2019—yet affordability worsened significantly in Africa and many low‑income nations
Although some nutrition targets saw improvement, others stagnated. Childhood stunting declined slightly—from 26.4 % in 2012 to roughly 23.2 % in 2024. Exclusive breastfeeding rates edged upward to 47.8 % by 2023. However, minimal change occurred in rates of child overweight and wasting, while anaemia among women aged 15–49 rose to over 30 %
The report indicates that conflict zones like Sudan, Gaza, South Sudan, and Yemen, along with climate shocks and economic instability, continue to undermine food systems, particularly in Africa and western Asia . These intersecting crises deepen vulnerability, reduce agricultural output, and fracture supply chains.
UN officials warned that without timely interventions—especially in low‑income and conflict‑affected countries—progress toward the hunger and nutrition targets will remain elusive
Hunger is not uniform. Women and girls, rural communities, displaced populations, and the poorest households are disproportionately affected. The percentage of women lacking dietary diversity has increased, and child malnutrition persists unevenly across demographic groups
SOFI 2025 underscores that hunger is largely human-made—and thus subject to correction. Regions that expanded social safety nets, agricultural investment, school-feeding programs, and inclusive policy frameworks saw the greatest progress. Latin America stands out for its successful combination of trade and nutrition policy reforms
For Africa, the findings are a call to action: substantial public and private investment in food systems, robust social protection, and climate resilience strategies are urgently needed to reverse current trends and meet the ambitious targets of the 2030 agenda.
The SOFI 2025 report offers a mixed picture: a small global victory hides a growing divide that increasingly leaves Africa behind. Without swift, targeted interventions to expand access to nutritious food, address price inflation, and build resilient agrifood systems, Africa’s hunger crisis risks becoming entrenched.
Moving forward requires policy coherence, funding commitments, and equitable frameworks that prioritize the most vulnerable. Tackling lingering inequalities—within countries and across regions—is not only a moral imperative, but a prerequisite for realizing the Zero Hunger goal.
Africa’s food security challenges today are a test of global solidarity and political will. The modest decline in global hunger offers hope—but only if it motivates bolder, inclusive action to ensure nobody is left behind.
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