New York: Nearly 645 million people worldwide experienced hunger in 2025, according to a new United Nations report that shows some progress in reducing global hunger but warns that millions are still struggling to get enough food. The report says that 7.8 percent of the world's population faced hunger last year, highlighting that while conditions have improved since recent years, the fight against hunger remains far from over.
The findings are contained in the latest edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, commonly known as the SOFI report. It was prepared jointly by five United Nations agencies, namely the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The report was officially released at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome this week.
According to the report, global hunger has continued to decline after reaching a peak in 2022. Around 14 million fewer people experienced hunger in 2025 compared with 2024, while the number has fallen by 43 million since the high point recorded three years ago. The agencies also noted that food security improved significantly in several parts of the world, especially in South America and Southern Asia, where economic recovery, better agricultural production and stronger public policies helped many people gain improved access to food.
Despite these encouraging signs, the United Nations agencies stressed that the overall situation remains serious. They warned that global food systems continue to face major threats from conflicts, economic uncertainty and climate change. These challenges could quickly reverse the progress made over the past few years if governments do not continue investing in food security and support for vulnerable communities.
Speaking to Reuters, Food and Agriculture Organization Chief Economist Máximo Torero said that one of the biggest immediate concerns is the possibility of disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is one of the world's most important trade routes for energy supplies and agricultural products. Any disruption there could lead to higher prices for fuel, fertilizers and transport, making food production more expensive across the globe and increasing food prices for consumers.
Torero also warned that a strong El Niño weather pattern could place additional pressure on agriculture by bringing droughts, floods and other extreme weather events to regions that are already vulnerable. Such weather conditions could reduce crop production and make food shortages worse in many countries.
At the launch of the report, Food and Agriculture Organization Director General Dr Qu Dongyu said the latest figures prove that determined government policies can produce positive results. However, he stressed that countries should not become complacent and must continue working together to protect the progress achieved so far and speed up efforts to reduce hunger even further.
The report highlights that Africa continues to face the greatest burden of hunger. Around 309 million people on the continent remain undernourished, meaning that one in every five Africans does not have enough food. Although the hunger rate in Africa showed a slight improvement by falling from 20.3 percent in 2024 to 20 percent in 2025, the report warns that rapid population growth could cause the total number of hungry people to rise again in the coming years.
The report also raises concern about nutrition, especially among children and women. It says child malnutrition remains at unacceptably high levels, while anaemia among women is becoming more widespread. At the same time, obesity among adults continues to increase steadily, showing that many countries now face both undernutrition and unhealthy diets at the same time.
Looking ahead, the report estimates that around 520 million people could still be living with hunger by 2030. This means the world is not on track to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger by the end of the decade.
To address these challenges, the United Nations agencies urged governments to keep food, energy and agricultural markets open and avoid export restrictions that can worsen shortages. They also called for stronger social protection programmes to support vulnerable families and appealed for farmers to receive timely access to fertilizers, quality seeds, water, credit and other essential farming resources before planting seasons begin.
The agencies further encouraged long term investment in irrigation systems, food storage facilities, cold chain networks, transport infrastructure, early warning systems and disaster preparedness measures. They said such investments would strengthen food systems, reduce the cost of nutritious food, improve resilience against future crises and help make healthy diets more affordable for millions of people around the world.