The number of undernourished people worldwide has been decreasing for the third consecutive year. According to a new UN report released this week, this encouraging trend proves that "progress is possible," however, the organization's experts warn that the achieved results remain extremely fragile in the face of new climatic and geopolitical challenges.
Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels
According to the report's authors, the proportion of the world's hungry population was 7.8% in 2025. This indicates a steady, albeit cautious, decrease in the indicator: in 2024 it stood at 8.1%, and in 2022 it reached 8.6%.
It is worth recalling that UN representatives previously stated that the coronavirus pandemic and the associated economic shocks had set back global food security indicators by 15 years. Current data confirm that humanity has begun to slowly "regain" lost ground. However, the recovery process is proving to be protracted and geographically uneven.
Geography of Contrasts
Regional statistics demonstrate a clear gap in dynamics. Significant improvements in the fight against hunger have been recorded in countries in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, where state support measures and supply chain adaptations have yielded tangible results.
At the same time, the African continent shows only stabilization of indicators without a confident downward trend. According to the UN, Africa still hosts the absolute majority of hungry people on Earth, which requires unprecedented intervention from international donors and local governments.
Threat of Food Inflation
The report's authors emphasize that the current positive trend could easily turn into regression. The main risk factors cited are the increasing frequency of extreme weather events disrupting agricultural cycles, as well as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The combination of these factors creates a threat of a new wave of food inflation, which will primarily affect the most vulnerable populations in developing countries.
Systemic Response to Global Crises
The Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Qu Dongyu, called on the international community not to slow down the pace of work.
"The report shows that progress is possible, but we must move faster," he stated.
According to the head of the organization, eradicating hunger completely and ensuring universal access to healthy nutrition requires not one-off actions, but systemic political commitment, sustained investment, and well-thought-out agricultural policies.
"Recent global crises have demonstrated both the resilience of agrifood systems and the critical need for their further strengthening to better serve the world's most vulnerable populations," Qu Dongyu summarized.
