The Global Hunger Index has risen for the first time compared with 2018, as the crisis worsens in sub-Saharan Africa amid armed conflicts, declining humanitarian aid funding and mounting pressure on food security, while global progress in tackling hunger has stalled.
Africa is home to most of the countries facing the worst hunger
Two reports released ahead of World Food Day, observed on 16 October, showed that sub-Saharan Africa is home to 7 of the 8 countries classified as having an alarming situation in the Global Hunger Index. The region is also home to the world’s 3 largest acute food security crises. Germany’s Welthungerhilfe published the Global Hunger Index in cooperation with two partner organisations.
Index data covering a time series dating back to 2000 showed that its level rose for the first time when compared with 2018. The findings showed that hunger conditions had deteriorated in 32 countries, while a further 20 made only limited progress. The index measures rates of undernourishment, malnutrition and child mortality.
266 million people face acute food insecurity
In a separate assessment, Action Against Hunger said that about 266 million people in 47 countries and territories experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025. Two-thirds of these people were concentrated in just 10 countries. The organisation identified armed conflict as the main cause of the crisis, citing the displacement of populations and the destruction of their livelihoods.
Droughts, floods and rising food prices are also increasing the hardship linked to food insecurity. The worsening crisis coincided with a 59% decline in funding for humanitarian food assistance in crisis-affected areas between 2022 and 2025, according to the organisation. The decline has led to cuts in aid programmes and weakened the capacity to monitor crises adequately.
By contrast, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported a slight fall in the number of people suffering from chronic hunger worldwide, to 645 million in 2025. This estimate is based on a different measure from the one used to monitor acute food insecurity crises, so the two indicators should be distinguished when comparing the figures.
