ROME. The number of people suffering from hunger in the world decreased for the third consecutive year during 2025, according to the latest report on the state of food security and nutrition prepared by United Nations agencies.
The study, published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO), estimates that between 608 and 696 million people suffered from undernourishment last year, with a central estimate close to 650 million.
The figure represents an approximate reduction of 14 million people compared to 2024, consolidating a downward trend that began three years ago. However, organizations warn that progress remains too slow to meet the Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating hunger by 2030.
Africa becomes the region with the most people suffering from hunger
The report points to a significant shift in the geographical distribution of the problem. For the first time since this study has been published, Africa surpasses Asia as the continent with the highest number of undernourished people.
Currently, the African continent concentrates around 309 million people in a state of hunger, while Asia registers nearly 292 million. According to the FAO, the change is mainly due to African demographic growth, even though the proportion of the affected population decreased slightly during the last year.
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In contrast, Asia and Latin America recorded significant progress in reducing hunger, driven by improvements observed in India and several South American countries.
More than 500 million will continue to suffer from hunger by 2030
The projections included in the document indicate that, if international actions are not accelerated, between 510 and 520 million people will continue to suffer from hunger by the end of this decade, more than half of them in Africa.
UN agencies consider that armed conflicts, extreme weather events, economic crises, and limitations in access to nutritious food continue to be the main obstacles to advancing towards the Zero Hunger goal.
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A healthy diet remains out of reach for millions
The report also reveals that 2.69 billion people, nearly a third of the global population, cannot afford a healthy diet.
International organizations point out that reducing hunger depends not only on increasing food production, but also on improving agrifood systems, strengthening infrastructure, ensuring more efficient supply chains, and facilitating economic access to nutritious diets.
