In 2023, 9.2% of the world’s population was undernourished, meaning hunger remains widespread. The Multidimensional Hunger Index rose from 22.0 to 24.2 from 2020 to 2023, and wasting risk increases as household food insecurity worsens. The same patterns appear across health impacts and conflict settings, where crisis levels reach 153 million people in 42 countries.
Key Takeaways
- 9.2% of the world’s population was undernourished in 2023
- Global cereal production was 2,815 million tonnes in 2023 (FAOSTAT aggregate; cereals contribute substantially to food availability)
- In April 2024, the FAO Food Price Index rose to 125.8 (2021=100)
- 153 million people in 42 countries were in crisis or worse (IPC/CH phases 3 or above) in 2023
- 18.8 million people in the Gaza Strip were projected to face severe levels of acute food insecurity in early 2024
- 63% of refugees and displaced people surveyed reported not having enough food in 2023 in UNHCR-supported settings
- In 2022, 2.3 million deaths were attributable to wasting (UNICEF-WHO-WB joint estimates)
- 45% of child deaths are linked to undernutrition, according to UNICEF estimates
- Hunger and food insecurity increased the risk of moderate or severe acute malnutrition in children by about 4.0 percentage points per unit increase in household food insecurity score (systematic evidence summarized by peer-reviewed research)
- US$ 21.3 billion in humanitarian funding was requested for food security and nutrition in 2024
- FAO and partners supported 63.4 million people with food assistance and agricultural support in 2022
- US$ 4.2 billion was the required amount for the Sahel humanitarian response plan in 2024 (food security and nutrition among priority sectors)
- In 2022, 1.0 billion people lacked access to adequate sanitation services (WASH access impacts nutrition and child health)
- 2.2 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2022—representing 42% of the world’s population—according to the FAO/World Bank cost-and-affordability work summarized in the State of Food Security and Nutrition (2024).
- In 2022, 2.0 billion people lacked micronutrient adequacy (hidden hunger) in their diets (Global Burden/FAO evidence base summarized in IFPRI food security briefs).
Rising prices, conflict, and unmet needs are worsening hunger worldwide, hitting hundreds of millions and fueling child malnutrition.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global Prevalence1 stats
01
9.2% of the world’s population was undernourished in 2023
Interpretation
Global Prevalence Interpretation
For the Global Prevalence of hunger, 9.2% of the world’s population was undernourished in 2023, showing that nearly one in ten people still faced inadequate food intake worldwide.
02 · Category
Market And Drivers2 stats
01
Global cereal production was 2,815 million tonnes in 2023 (FAOSTAT aggregate; cereals contribute substantially to food availability)
02
In April 2024, the FAO Food Price Index rose to 125.8 (2021=100)
Interpretation
Market And Drivers Interpretation
With global cereal production reaching 2,815 million tonnes in 2023 while the FAO Food Price Index climbed to 125.8 in April 2024, the market outlook for hunger is being shaped by a tension between strong staple supply and rising food prices.
03 · Category
Conflict And Vulnerability3 stats
01
153 million people in 42 countries were in crisis or worse (IPC/CH phases 3 or above) in 2023
02
18.8 million people in the Gaza Strip were projected to face severe levels of acute food insecurity in early 2024
03
63% of refugees and displaced people surveyed reported not having enough food in 2023 in UNHCR-supported settings
Interpretation
Conflict And Vulnerability Interpretation
In the Conflict And Vulnerability context, 153 million people across 42 countries were already in crisis or worse for food security in 2023, and that pressure is echoed in displacement settings where 63% of surveyed refugees and displaced people reported not having enough food in 2023.
04 · Category
Health Impacts3 stats
01
In 2022, 2.3 million deaths were attributable to wasting (UNICEF-WHO-WB joint estimates)
02
45% of child deaths are linked to undernutrition, according to UNICEF estimates
03
Hunger and food insecurity increased the risk of moderate or severe acute malnutrition in children by about 4.0 percentage points per unit increase in household food insecurity score (systematic evidence summarized by peer-reviewed research)
Interpretation
Health Impacts Interpretation
In the Health Impacts category, hunger remains a major driver of child and overall mortality, with 2.3 million deaths linked to wasting in 2022 and 45% of child deaths tied to undernutrition, while food insecurity also raises the risk of moderate or severe acute malnutrition by about 4.0 percentage points per unit.
05 · Category
Funding And Aid3 stats
01
US$ 21.3 billion in humanitarian funding was requested for food security and nutrition in 2024
02
FAO and partners supported 63.4 million people with food assistance and agricultural support in 2022
03
US$ 4.2 billion was the required amount for the Sahel humanitarian response plan in 2024 (food security and nutrition among priority sectors)
Interpretation
Funding And Aid Interpretation
In 2024, humanitarian funding needs for food security and nutrition were projected at US$21.3 billion, and with the Sahel response plan alone requiring US$4.2 billion, the data shows that under the Funding And Aid category demand for assistance is high and remains heavily concentrated across priority regions.
06 · Category
Food Systems And Access1 stats
01
In 2022, 1.0 billion people lacked access to adequate sanitation services (WASH access impacts nutrition and child health)
Interpretation
Food Systems And Access Interpretation
In 2022, 1.0 billion people lacked access to adequate sanitation services, underscoring how gaps in food systems and access extend beyond food itself to affect nutrition and child health.
07 · Category
Affordability & Access2 stats
01
2.2 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2022—representing 42% of the world’s population—according to the FAO/World Bank cost-and-affordability work summarized in the State of Food Security and Nutrition (2024).
02
In 2022, 2.0 billion people lacked micronutrient adequacy (hidden hunger) in their diets (Global Burden/FAO evidence base summarized in IFPRI food security briefs).
Interpretation
Affordability & Access Interpretation
In 2022, 2.2 billion people, or 42% of the world, could not afford a healthy diet and another 2.0 billion lacked key micronutrients, showing that for Affordability & Access hunger is driven not just by cost but also by the limited nutritional quality of what people can reach.
More related reading
08 · Category
Funding & Response1 stats
01
In 2023, the global Humanitarian Response Plan for food security and nutrition reached 63.4 million people supported by FAO and partners in 2022 (as reported in SOFI/FAO partner materials).
Interpretation
Funding & Response Interpretation
In 2023, the funding and response behind the global Humanitarian Response Plan for food security and nutrition enabled support for 63.4 million people through FAO and partners, showing a large-scale reach in addressing hunger needs.
09 · Category
Child Nutrition & Health3 stats
01
The global hunger burden is measured by the Multidimensional Hunger Index (MHI); globally, the MHI increased from 22.0 (2020) to 24.2 (2023) (IMPACT/peer-reviewed MHI reporting).
02
In 2023, global acute malnutrition cases were estimated at 49.0 million children globally (IPC/UNICEF-WHO-WB frameworks referenced in humanitarian nutrition reports).
03
In 2022, undernutrition (including wasting, stunting, and micronutrient deficiencies) contributed to an estimated 45% of deaths in children under 5 (UNICEF evidence used in international reporting).
Interpretation
Child Nutrition & Health Interpretation
For Child Nutrition and Health, rising hunger is becoming a greater threat, with the Multidimensional Hunger Index climbing from 22.0 in 2020 to 24.2 in 2023 while 49.0 million children faced acute malnutrition in 2023 and undernutrition accounted for about 45% of child deaths in 2022.
10 · Category
Wash & Disease Link2 stats
01
Globally, 419 million people still practiced open defecation in 2022 (UN-Water/WHO-UNICEF JMP estimates).
02
In 2022, unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) accounted for an estimated 132.0 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) worldwide (Global Burden of Disease estimates).
Interpretation
Wash & Disease Link Interpretation
With 419 million people still practicing open defecation in 2022, unsafe WASH conditions were linked to an estimated 132.0 million DALYs worldwide that same year, underscoring how the wash and disease link remains a major driver of preventable illness.
11 · Category
Food Security Prevalence1 stats
01
In 2022, 7.6% of the world’s population were ‘prevalence of undernourishment’—i.e., chronically undernourished—in the FAO/WHO/WB data series published in SOFI 2023.
Interpretation
Food Security Prevalence Interpretation
In the Food Security Prevalence category, the latest FAO/WHO/WB estimate shows that 7.6% of the world’s population were chronically undernourished in 2022, underscoring that hunger remains a measurable and persistent food security challenge.
12 · Category
Food Supply & Markets1 stats
01
In 2019, 9.0% of global food availability was lost between harvest and retail (UNEP/FAO food loss evidence synthesis).
Interpretation
Food Supply & Markets Interpretation
In 2019, 9.0% of global food availability was lost between harvest and retail, underscoring how food supply chain losses are a key market-facing driver of hunger under the Food Supply and Markets category.
report visual · Key figures
Global hunger burden is worsening
The Multidimensional Hunger Index (MHI) increased from 2020 to 2023, indicating a worsening global hunger burden.
22.0
The global hunger burden is measured by the Multidimensional Hunger Index (MHI); globally, the MHI increased from 22.0 (
9.2%
9.2% of the world’s population was undernourished in 2023
2,815
Global cereal production was 2,815 million tonnes in 2023 (FAOSTAT aggregate; cereals contribute substantially to food a
source-verifiedifpri.org · fao.org2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Hunger Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hunger-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Hunger Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hunger-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Hunger Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hunger-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)