World Food Report: Hunger Slightly Declining Worldwide, Africa Remains a Concern

For the first time, Africa recorded the largest regional number with 309 million undernourished people, surpassing Asia, which has 292 million – despite the Asian continent having a significantly larger population. Particularly concerning is that while the years-long increase in Africa has come to a halt, the absolute numbers remain at a high level. Researchers forecast that by 2030, roughly 56 percent of all chronically undernourished people worldwide will live in Africa.

Africa as the New Hotspot

Welthungerhilfe Secretary General Mathias Mogge warned against premature euphoria. „Es sei wieder nicht gelungen, einen entscheidenden Schritt bei der Überwindung des Hungers voranzukommen“, he said on the occasion of the report's release. At the current trend, around 510 to 520 million people worldwide would still be chronically undernourished in 2030. „Die Verbesserung sei nur marginal“, Mogge concluded.

According to the report, progress is concentrated mainly in Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. In these regions, the situation has steadily improved in recent years. Africa breaks from this pattern: nearly two-thirds of the African population lack sufficient means to afford a healthy diet, according to the report. In addition, rapid population growth is exacerbating the hunger problem.

Children Particularly Affected

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell called for greater efforts to ensure children's food security. „Jedes Kind verdient die Chance, zu wachsen und sein volles Potenzial zu entfalten, und das beginnt mit dem Zugang zu erschwinglichen Lebensmitteln“, she said. Globally, around 150 million children under five were chronically malnourished in 2024, according to the report. The number is declining but remains too high in the authors' assessment.

Geopolitical Risks Worsen the Situation

The report sees an additional risk in geopolitical developments. The consequences of the 2026 Middle East conflict and the Strait of Hormuz crisis have massively driven up fuel and fertilizer prices, according to the paper. „Die jüngsten Ereignisse, darunter der Nahost-Konflikt von 2026, drohen durch ihre Auswirkungen auf Afrika und Asien die Fortschritte bei der Erreichung des Ziels zu untergraben“, the authors warn.

Maximo Torero, Chief Economist of the FAO, explained the mechanisms: „Es fehlen 20 bis 30 Prozent von allem, was man braucht, um Dünger zu produzieren. Erdgas zum Beispiel, um Stickstoff herzustellen, oder Schwefel“, he described the situation. Less fertilizer leads to lower yields, „was sich später auch auf die Verbraucherpreise auswirken wird“. On local markets in affected countries, food prices have already risen unchecked.

The international community has set itself the goal of ending hunger worldwide by 2030. Given the current figures and the warning voices from aid organizations and UN agencies, this goal appears to be moving further out of reach. The fight against hunger remains one of the most pressing global tasks, the report's authors emphasized.