While the numbers tell a staggering story—of billions facing hunger, millions of children stunted, and rising costs putting a healthy diet out of reach for nearly half the world—the true crisis of food security is found in the quiet, daily struggle of putting a meal on the table.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 735 million people, or 9.2% of the global population, faced hunger, an increase of 122 million since 2019
- The prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity affected 2.4 billion people worldwide in 2022, equivalent to 29.6% of the global adult population
- Globally, 149 million children under 5 were stunted in 2022, accounting for 22% of all children in that age group
- In sub-Saharan Africa, 20.4% of the population, or 278.5 million people, faced hunger in 2022
- Western Africa had 24.3% undernourishment rate in 2022, affecting 65.8 million
- Eastern Africa saw 30.5% hunger prevalence, impacting 134.9 million people in 2022
- Globally, 49 million children under 5 were wasted in 2022, with highest rates in South Asia at 7.7%
- Stunting affected 22% of children under 5 worldwide in 2022, or 149 million, mostly irreversible
- 390 million women and girls of reproductive age anemic in 2022, 30% globally
- Global cereal production projected at 2,809 million tonnes for 2023/24, up 1.1%
- Maize output reached 1,239 million tonnes in 2023/24, driven by US and Brazil
- Wheat production forecast at 785 million tonnes for 2023/24, up 6.7% from prior year
- Social protection covered 45% of global population in 2022, aiding food access
- Government spending on agriculture averaged 4.2% of total budgets in low-income countries 2020-22
- 689 million without social protection, 55% global population, exacerbating insecurity
Global hunger and food insecurity continue to rise alarmingly worldwide.
Economic Policy
- Social protection covered 45% of global population in 2022, aiding food access
- Government spending on agriculture averaged 4.2% of total budgets in low-income countries 2020-22
- 689 million without social protection, 55% global population, exacerbating insecurity
- Food subsidies cost governments $600 billion annually, distorting markets
- Trade restrictions on food exports affected 20% of global trade in 2022 crisis
- Remittances to low/middle-income countries $626 billion in 2022, supporting food access
- Inflation hit 40% for food in low-income countries 2022, policy response weak
- Cash transfers reached 160 million people via humanitarian aid in 2022
- Gender gap in agricultural productivity 20-30% due to unequal access
- Climate finance for adaptation $23 billion annually, far below $300 billion need
- Public investment in agri-R&D declined 20% in real terms since 2010 in developing countries
- Emergency food aid reached 124 million beneficiaries in 2022
- Nutrition-sensitive social protection covers only 10% of needs
- Fossil fuel subsidies $7 trillion in 2022, distorting food production costs
- Women farmers produce 60-80% food in Africa/Asia but access 10% credit
- Universal healthy diet costs $8 trillion/year extra by 2030 without action
- SDG 2 funding gap $119 billion/year for food security
- Export bans by 22 countries in 2022 reduced global supply by 5%
- Microfinance reaches 140 million borrowers, 80% women, aiding food security
- Debt service 15% of GDP in low-income countries, crowding out food spending
- School feeding programs cover 388 million children in 161 countries 2022
- Agricultural insurance covers <2% farmers in Africa, vs 90% in US
- 122 million more hungry since 2019 due to economic shocks, conflicts
Economic Policy Interpretation
The world's approach to food security is a frustrating tapestry of heroic band-aids, tragic shortfalls, and absurd contradictions, where we spend trillions on fossil fuels and export bans that make the problem worse while starving the very investments that could actually fix it.
Global Prevalence
- In 2022, 735 million people, or 9.2% of the global population, faced hunger, an increase of 122 million since 2019
- The prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity affected 2.4 billion people worldwide in 2022, equivalent to 29.6% of the global adult population
- Globally, 149 million children under 5 were stunted in 2022, accounting for 22% of all children in that age group
- 45 million children under 5 suffered from wasting in 2022, representing 6.8% globally, a key indicator of acute malnutrition
- In 2021, 2.3 billion people experienced moderate to severe food insecurity, up from 2.0 billion in 2019
- Global undernourishment rate stood at 9.8% in 2021, affecting nearly 783 million people
- 828 million people faced hunger in 2021, the highest number since comprehensive records began in 2000
- Food insecurity rose to 28.9% of adults globally in 2021 from 26.5% pre-COVID
- 3.1 billion people, or 39% of the global population, could not afford a healthy diet in 2022
- The cost of a healthy diet globally averaged $3.66 per person per day in 2022, unaffordable for 2.8 billion adults
- 1.9 billion adults were overweight in 2022, including 890 million living with obesity, linked to food security issues
- Global stunting prevalence in children under 5 decreased from 25.5% in 2000 to 22% in 2022, but absolute numbers remain high at 149 million
- Wasting affected 6.7% of children under 5 globally in 2022, with 45.3 million cases
- Overweight prevalence among children under 5 reached 37 million globally in 2022
- 340 million children under 5, or 28%, were affected by multiple forms of malnutrition in 2022
- Global hunger levels have risen for four consecutive years since 2019, reaching 735 million in 2022
- 9.2% prevalence of undernourishment in 2022, up from 8.8% in 2021
- Food insecurity among women rose to 31.5% in 2022 from 29.4% in 2021 globally
- Men experienced 27.8% food insecurity rate in 2022, lower than women but still affecting billions
- 2.4 billion adults faced food insecurity in 2022, with South Asia highest at 32%
- Global food price index averaged 143.7 points in 2022, 14% higher than 2021, exacerbating insecurity
- 58 million more people pushed into food insecurity due to 2022 food price spikes
- Undernourishment affected 691 million in 2020, rising sharply due to COVID-19
- 2.37 billion faced moderate/severe food insecurity in 2020
- Global obesity tripled since 1975, with 1 billion obese adults in 2022
- 148 million children stunted in 2020, 45 million wasted
- Healthy diet affordability gap widened, with 3.1 billion unable in 2021
- Global cereal production reached 2,784 million tonnes in 2022/23, but distribution issues persist
- 735.1 million undernourished in 2022, per FAO estimates using improved methodology
- Food insecurity prevalence stabilized at 29.6% in 2022 after COVID peaks
Global Prevalence Interpretation
While the global pantry isn't technically empty, it's managed with such grotesque inefficiency that nearly a tenth of humanity is left staring at empty plates, another third can't reliably fill theirs with anything nutritious, and our children's futures are literally being stunted by the collective failure to simply share the feast.
Malnutrition Indicators
- Globally, 49 million children under 5 were wasted in 2022, with highest rates in South Asia at 7.7%
- Stunting affected 22% of children under 5 worldwide in 2022, or 149 million, mostly irreversible
- 390 million women and girls of reproductive age anemic in 2022, 30% globally
- Overweight children under 5 numbered 37 million globally in 2022, double burden of malnutrition
- 1.9 billion adults overweight, 890 million obese in 2022, linked to poor diet quality
- Exclusive breastfeeding rate stagnant at 44% for infants under 6 months in 2022
- Vitamin A deficiency affects 190 million preschool children, 20% globally
- Iodine deficiency in 2 billion people worldwide, impacting cognitive development
- 148.1 billion children in food poverty, unable to access minimum diverse diet in 2023
- 50 million children wasted globally in 2023, 35 million in low-income countries
- Stunting prevalence declined 14% globally since 2000, but plateaued post-2020
- Anaemia in women 15-49 years at 29.9% in 2019, little change by 2022
- 9% of children under 5 obese globally in 2022, up from 5.6% in 2012
- Zinc deficiency affects 17.3% of global population, 2.8 billion people
- Folate deficiency in 20% of low-income country populations
- Double burden: 148 million stunted and 50 million wasted children under 5 in 2022
- Low birthweight 20.5 million infants annually, 1 in 6 babies, malnutrition root
- Infant and young child feeding practices inadequate for 60% globally
- Micronutrient deficiencies affect 2 billion people, half world population
- Non-communicable diseases from poor nutrition cause 11 million deaths yearly
- 340 million children multiple malnutrition forms, 1 in 3 under 5 in 2022
- Wasting recovery rate only 45% without treatment, mortality risk 12x higher
- Stunting linked to 45% under-5 deaths in low-income countries
Malnutrition Indicators Interpretation
The statistics paint a grotesque, global portrait of malnutrition's double-edged sword, where half of humanity is simultaneously starved of essential nutrients while drowning in calories, condemning generations to preventable stunting, disease, and cognitive decline.
Production Supply
- Global cereal production projected at 2,809 million tonnes for 2023/24, up 1.1%
- Maize output reached 1,239 million tonnes in 2023/24, driven by US and Brazil
- Wheat production forecast at 785 million tonnes for 2023/24, up 6.7% from prior year
- Rice production steady at 534 million tonnes milled equivalent in 2023/24
- Global food production index up 1.8% in 2022 from 2021, per FAO
- Cereal stocks-to-use ratio 29.5% for 2023/24, indicating moderate supply
- Fertilizer use efficiency low at 50% globally, wasting 50% of inputs
- Arable land per person declined to 0.19 ha globally in 2021
- Irrigation covers 20% of cultivated land but produces 40% of food
- Livestock sector uses 77% of agricultural land but contributes 18% calories
- Crop yield gap 50% below potential in low-income countries
- Global fish production 186 million tonnes in 2022, 96 Mt from aquaculture
- Seed use for cereals 50 kg/ha average, varying widely by region
- Pesticide use 4 kg/ha globally, but 10x higher in high-income areas
- Food loss post-harvest 14% globally, 121 kg/capita/year in Europe
- 17% of global food production wasted at retail/consumer levels
- Climate change to reduce global yields 10% by 2050 without adaptation
- Drought affected 32% of global land area in 2022, impacting crops
- Floods damaged 1.5 million ha crops in 2022 across Asia
- GMO crops planted on 190 million ha globally in 2022, 13% of arable land
- Organic farming 1.5% of global agricultural land in 2022
- Global meat production 359 million tonnes in 2022, up 1.4%
- Dairy production 881 million tonnes milk equivalent in 2022
- 1.5 billion ha permanent crops/meadows globally
- Yield growth slowed to 1.1% annually 2011-2021 vs 2.3% prior decade
Production Supply Interpretation
While global fields offer a modestly fuller breadbasket this year, our feast rests on increasingly shaky ground, as we squander half our fertilizer, lose a third of our food, and cultivate a future where each person’s share of fertile earth continues to shrink.
Regional Disparities
- In sub-Saharan Africa, 20.4% of the population, or 278.5 million people, faced hunger in 2022
- Western Africa had 24.3% undernourishment rate in 2022, affecting 65.8 million
- Eastern Africa saw 30.5% hunger prevalence, impacting 134.9 million people in 2022
- Middle Africa recorded 32.5% undernourishment, one of the highest globally in 2022
- Southern Africa had 12.4% hunger rate, affecting 18.8 million in 2022
- In South Asia, 16.5% undernourishment affected 410.8 million people in 2022
- Southern Asia food insecurity hit 32% of adults, highest regionally in 2022
- Eastern Asia had 6.1% hunger rate, impacting 107.4 million in 2022
- Latin America and Caribbean undernourishment at 6.2%, affecting 39.8 million in 2022
- Caribbean hunger prevalence 13.8%, 6.8 million affected in 2022
- Central America 7.3% undernourishment, 15.7 million people in 2022
- South America 5.5% hunger rate, 17.3 million impacted in 2022
- Northern Africa 9.3% undernourishment, 22.1 million in 2022
- Western Asia food insecurity at 24.6% of adults in 2022
- Oceania hunger rate 10.8%, affecting 2.3 million in 2022
- Europe lowest at 2.3% undernourishment, 13.1 million in 2022
- Central Asia 7.9% hunger prevalence in 2022
- In Yemen, 17 million people, 45% of population, faced acute food insecurity in 2023
- Haiti had 4.7 million in acute food insecurity, half the population in 2023
- Afghanistan 15.8 million acutely food insecure in 2023 winter
- Ethiopia 20.1 million needing food assistance in 2023 due to drought
- South Sudan 7.8 million in IPC Phase 3+ food insecurity in 2023
- Nigeria 25 million projected food insecure in 2023
- Somalia 4.3 million acutely food insecure in 2023
- DRC 25.5 million food insecure, 5.6 million in emergency levels in 2023
- Sudan 17.7 million acutely food insecure post-2023 conflict
- In India, 194.6 million were food insecure in 2019-21, per NSSO survey
- 22.7% of stunting in children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa in 2022, highest globally
- 7.7% wasting rate in South Asia children under 5 in 2022
- 30% undernourishment in Southern Africa projected for 2023 without aid
Regional Disparities Interpretation
While a quarter of humanity plays musical chairs with their next meal, the music is dangerously close to stopping for hundreds of millions, proving that our global pantry is catastrophically understocked and unfairly distributed.
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