UN Report: Fewer People Hungry Worldwide, But 2030 Goal Remains Out of Reach

Compared to 2024, the number of hungry people fell by around 14 million. The FAO considers this the third consecutive decline. "Die jüngsten Ereignisse, darunter der Nahostkonflikt, drohten allerdings, Fortschritte zu untergraben", the report states. According to the authors' assessment, this means the goal formulated by the United Nations – to completely eliminate hunger by 2030 – remains unattainable.

The regional differences are significant. In Africa, around 309 million people went hungry last year – the highest number of any continent. However, the situation there has at least stabilized, with numbers no longer rising. South Asia and Latin America as well as the Caribbean, on the other hand, have improved markedly. "Die Situation hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren stetig verbessert, insbesondere in Asien, Lateinamerika und der Karibik", the researchers write.

India as an Example

Maximo Torero, chief economist at the FAO, cites primarily two reasons for the persistently high number of hungry people in Africa. On the one hand, many countries are suffering from armed conflicts. "Die Konflikte in Afrika sind eine Herausforderung. Sie sorgen für viel Hunger in der Region", Torero said. On the other, he pointed to strong population growth on the continent, which makes provision additionally more difficult.

Hormuz Blockade Risk

Torero highlighted India as a positive example, noting that the country has modernized and digitized its social system. This has made it easier for authorities to distribute food specifically to those in need. At the same time, the FAO economist warned of additional strain on the global food situation caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. "Es fehlen 20 bis 30 Prozent von allem, was man braucht, um Dünger zu produzieren. Erdgas zum Beispiel, um Stickstoff herzustellen, oder Schwefel", Torero said. A reduced supply of fertilizer leads to lower harvest yields, "was sich später auch auf die Verbraucherpreise auswirken wird".

The report therefore anticipates rising energy prices and significant consequences for global food supply. However, these effects could not yet be fully reflected in the data, since the figures refer to the previous year. The FAO nevertheless assumes that the situation will deteriorate noticeably as a result of the blockade.

More Than Hunger

In addition to hunger, the report points to a second, often underestimated problem: nearly 2.7 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet. Torero emphasized that overweight and obesity also claim millions of lives annually through heart attacks, diabetes, and similar secondary diseases. "Deshalb muss beides gleichzeitig angegangen werden", he said. Under- and overnutrition must be tackled together.

According to the FAO's assessment, another lever lies in food supply itself: around 70 percent of food costs arise only after the harvest – through storage, transport, and cold chains, for example. Efficiency gains in these areas could help make healthy food affordable for more people.

The World Food Report analyzes annually how wars, crises, and climate change affect global food security. This year, the balance is mixed: the number of hungry people fell for the third year in a row, but the gap to the 2030 goal remains large – and new geopolitical risks such as the Hormuz blockade threaten to undo the progress achieved.

The report was picked up on July 21, 2026, by Deutschlandfunk, among others. It paints a picture of a world in which hunger is measurably receding but remains a daily reality for hundreds of millions of people.