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Global hunger falls for third year, but SDG targets remain out of reach
In 2025, 645 million people faced hunger, and moderate or severe food insecurity affected 2.1 billion, both still above pre-pandemic levels.
Global hunger declined for a third consecutive year in 2025, but progress is not fast enough to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, according to the UN’s 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, known as SOFI, released July 21 by five UN specialized agencies.
The report estimates that 7.8% of the global population faced hunger in 2025, down from 8.1% in 2024 and 8.6% in 2022. It also said about 645 million people were affected by hunger in 2025, roughly 14 million fewer than in 2024 and 43 million fewer than in 2022, even though improvements remain insufficient for longer-term targets.
Despite the overall decline, the report warned that the pace is uneven and that crises including natural disasters and conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, the Gaza crisis, and disruptions tied to the Strait of Hormuz, have highlighted the resilience of agrifood systems and the need to strengthen them for vulnerable farmers and consumers. Progress is steadier in Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, while Africa remains most affected in absolute numbers, with about 309 million hungry people.
Broader measures show persistent strain on food access, with 25.8% of the world population, or around 2.1 billion people, experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity in 2025. World Grain reported that this compares with 27.1% in 2024 and 28.7% in 2020, and that Africa had the highest share affected at 56.6%, versus 20.3% in Asia, 22.9% in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 8.7% in another region cited in the report.