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Global Hunger Index 2024: ‘Foods’, standing for diversity, nutrition, affordability, accessibility, and safety, are recognized as the world’s third most basic human right, after air and water.
Everyone deserves the right to access adequate food; however, hunger persists, with people around the world today witnessing the largest global food crisis in modern history, despite the world’s farmers producing enough food to feed more than the global population.
From the COVID-19 pandemic to geopolitical conflicts, economic downturns, and the climate crisis, all have contributed to increasing food and fuel prices and widening inequality, resulting in devasting rising hunger and starvation.
As a result, the number of people facing food crises has risen by 122 million from 2019 to 2023, as highlighted in the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World in 2023.
About 350 million people around the globe today are undergoing the most extreme conditions of hunger, and out of those, almost 49 million people are on the verge of famine right now, the UN WFP highlights.
Additionally, over 820 million people suffer from chronic undernourishment, with about 60 percent of women, and five million children under five years of age dying of malnutrition-related causes each day, as per FAO.
To address global hunger and reaffirm its commitment to this cause, the FAO observes World Food Day every year on October 16 and commemorates its establishment in 1945.
This year we will mark World Food Day 2024 on October 16, falling on Wednesday, under the theme ‘Right to foods for a better life and a better future,’
While the goal of achieving zero hunger by 2030 appears challenging—given that 42 countries are still facing alarming or serious levels of hunger—there is a slightly positive development.
The 2024 Global Hunger Index report highlights that the world today has a GHI score of 18.3, a small decrease from the 2016 score of 18.8, which is categorized as moderate.
The progress against hunger has slowed down, with 22 countries witnessing an increase in hunger since 2016, while in 20 countries, the progress has largely stalled.
Notably, in 5 countries—Fiji, Jordan, Libya, Syria, and Venezuela—the hunger situation has gotten even worse than in 2000.
The 2024 GHI results highlight challenges affecting the world’s poorest countries, amplifying structural inequalities.
GHI is an instrument utilised by international humanitarian agencies to estimate and track hunger levels.
Based on indicators like undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality across 127 countries; here are the top 10 hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
| Rank 2024 | Country Name | GHI 2024 | GHI 2000 |
| 127 | Somalia | 44.1 | 63.3 |
| 126 | Yemen | 41.2 | 41.6 |
| 125 | Chad | 36.4 | 50.5 |
| 124 | Madagascar | 36.3 | 42.3 |
| 123 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 34.9 | 47.2 |
| 122 | Haiti | 34.3 | 39.8 |
| 121 | Niger | 34.1 | 53.1 |
| 120 | Liberia | 31.9 | 48.0 |
| 119 | Central African Republic | 31.5 | 48.0 |
| 118 | Korea (DPR) | 31.4 | 43.7 |
Source: Global Hunger Index 2024
In the Global Hunger Index (GHI) of 2024, India has been placed in the 105th position, categorizing it as “serious” in terms of hunger analysis.
India’s GHI score of 27.3 is a cause for concern, especially when compared to its South Asian neighbours like Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, which fall into the “moderate” category.
Comparing the GHI scores of India, the country which was previously categorized as “alarming” in 2000 with a score of 38.4, has shown gradual improvement. However, there is still a long way to go as the 2024 GHI report presents troubling statistics highlighting;
These numbers indicate deep-seated issues concerning undernutrition, unhealthy living conditions, and inadequate access to essential nutrients.
