For the first time since 2017, the United Nations’ 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) Report reveals a decline in the number of people living with chronic hunger. Yet, the urgency of this moment cannot be overstated. An estimated 673 million people, or 1 in 12 globally, still face chronic hunger today. And while progress is being made, it is fragile and uneven.
“After years of stagnation, the tide is finally turning—chronic hunger is beginning to decline,” said Rowlands Kaotcha, President & CEO of The Hunger Project. “This is a hard-won sign of hope. Yet with 673 million people still living with hunger, our work is far from over. We face a defining choice: retreat from progress or rise to meet the moment. Now is the time to rally behind a vision where those most affected by hunger are not seen as recipients of aid, but as leaders of their own transformation.”
Key Findings from the 2025 SOFI Report
Bright spots:
- Chronic hunger declined globally. In 2024, 8.2% of the population, or 673 million people, lived with chronic hunger.
- More children are well nourished. Child stunting rates dropped from 26.4% in 2012 to 23.2% in 2024. Exclusive breastfeeding increased from 37% in 2012 to 47.8% in 2023.
- Globally, more people can afford a healthy diet, despite high food price inflation. Over 68% of the global population can afford a healthy diet.
Areas of Concern:
- Progress has been inequitable. While other regions have seen a decline in chronic hunger, the number of people living with chronic hunger in Africa and Western Asia has increased.
- The gender gap has widened, again. The prevalence of food insecurity is consistently higher among women than among men, globally and in all regions.
- Many women and children are lacking dietary diversity. Two-thirds of children aged 6 months to 2 years and one-third of women aged 15 to 49 do not consume a diverse enough diet to get adequate nutrition.
- We must accelerate action to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. 512 million people are projected to be chronically undernourished by 2030—60% of whom will live in Africa.
Food Price Inflation: A Driving Force Behind Hunger
The 2025 SOFI Report identifies food price inflation as one of the most significant and persistent drivers of hunger globally. While the world has seen some economic recovery since the pandemic, that recovery has been deeply unequal—particularly for Low Income Countries, where the cost of food continues to rise faster than wages.
In Low Income Countries, households typically spend a substantial share of their income on food. When prices rise, there is little to no margin to absorb the cost—families are forced to make impossible choices between quantity and quality, or between food and other essentials like healthcare and education.
“In Zambia today, hunger is no longer just about food scarcity,” said Samuel Mutambo, Country Leader for The Hunger Project–Zambia. “As food prices soar, over 48% of Zambian households now face moderate to severe food insecurity—making hunger a direct consequence of economic fragility, not just agricultural shortfalls.”
In these contexts, food price inflation—peaking at 30% in 2023—has significantly eroded household purchasing power, especially in rural areas. Smallholder farmers, who are often net food buyers themselves, face rising input costs and shrinking access to nutritious foods. As a result, inflation doesn’t just make food more expensive—it deepens existing inequalities and drives hunger, particularly among women and children, who are often last to eat and first to suffer in times of scarcity.
Our Approach: Rooted in Resilience
The SOFI 2025 report confirms what we see every day in our work: systems of inequity are creating hunger and causing it to persist. What is needed now are community-led strategies that can transform these systems and build resilient leaders and communities. In partnership with local communities we:
Strengthen local food systems: By expanding home gardens and community agriculture, communities reduce reliance on volatile markets.
Increase livelihood diversification: After our programs, women and youth feel equipped to create multiple income streams, which helps them weather economic shocks.
Improve nutrition access: Community leaders provide education about nutrition, particularly for women and young children, and facilitate access to nutrition supplements where needed.
Community leadership: Our programs strengthen community capacity to advocate for culturally grounded, sustainable solutions.
“In Uganda, families are grappling with rising food prices and struggling to put enough food on the table,” said Irene Naikaali, Country Leader for The Hunger Project–Uganda. “Now more than ever, we need sustained, targeted responses rooted in local leadership. That’s where The Hunger Project comes in.”
“Based on our experience in Bangladesh, community-led initiatives that elevate women and value local knowledge are essential to improving food security and nutrition,” added Prashanta Tripura, Country Leader for The Hunger Project–Bangladesh.
A Pivotal Moment for Global Solidarity
The 2025 SOFI report holds promising signs of a world without hunger. We must not allow this progress to stall. Governments around the world are shrinking their global development funding at a time when bold investment is needed most. As a global community, we are being called to redefine what it means to support human dignity and shared progress. This is a moment of both hope and responsibility—an invitation to build on momentum, center community leadership and create a future where no one has to live with hunger.
Learn more about The Hunger Project’s community-led approach and join us to end hunger. In Africa, South Asia and Latin America we are working with local partners to create sustainable food systems to build resilience communities against climate, human and economic shocks through community-led programs and initiatives.
The 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report was published on July 28, 2025 jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Photos (top to bottom): Benin 2025; Uganda 2024 for The Hunger Project