Global Hunger Statistics

The 2022 Global Nutrition Report provides the latest data on global hunger and malnutrition rates: In 2022, 828 million people were affected by hunger, an increase of 46 million since 2021 and 150 million since 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Nearly 1 in 4 children under 5 years old were stunted (too short for age) in 2022, while over 50 million children suffered from wasting (low weight for height).
  • Food insecurity impacts health, education, and economic productivity, costing the global economy as much as $3.1 trillion per year in lost productivity and healthcare costs.

Causes of Hunger

The main drivers of global hunger include poverty, conflict, climate change, and lack of investment in agriculture and rural development, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):

  • Poverty forces over 3 billion people to survive on less than $5.50 per day, limiting their ability to access nutritious food.
  • Conflict is a major driver, with 60% of the world’s hungry living in conflict zones.
  • Climate change is disrupting food production through extreme weather events, droughts, and environmental degradation.
  • Lack of investment in agriculture, rural infrastructure, and technology limits productivity and resilience for smallholder farmers who produce one-third of global food.

Consequences of Malnutrition

Malnutrition has severe short and long-term consequences, as highlighted in a review published in The Lancet:

  • Undernutrition is an underlying cause of 45% of deaths among children under 5 globally.
  • Stunting impairs cognitive development, reducing a child’s potential income as an adult by over 20%.
  • Maternal undernutrition increases risks of birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.
  • Micronutrient deficiencies impair immune function, growth, and development in children and adults.

Sustainable Food Systems

Transitioning to sustainable food systems is critical to ending hunger while protecting the environment, according to a report by the EAT-Lancet Commission:

  • Sustainable agriculture practices like crop rotation, integrated pest management, and agroforestry can boost yields while reducing environmental impacts.
  • Reducing food loss and waste (currently one-third of all food produced) could feed an additional 1.9 billion people per year.
  • Shifting to more plant-based diets high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and plant-based proteins can improve nutrition while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.