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Hunger falling globally, WHO report finds

Aug 4, 2025, 6:44am EDT
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A woman sells potatoes at La Parada market in La Victoria district of Lima, Peru.
Mariana Bazo/File Photo/Reuters

The number of people going hungry worldwide fell by 15 million between 2023 and 2024, a new report said.

Southern Asia and Latin America saw particular gains as the percentage of the world’s population experiencing food shortages fell from 8.7% in 2022 to 8.5% in 2023 and 8.2% last year, the World Health Organization said.

The number is projected to fall further, from last year’s estimate of 673 million to a predicted 512 million by 2030, but progress is not even: Sub-Saharan Africa and Western Asia worsened. Child stunting and food insecurity levels fell, while adult obesity went up: Since 2016, there have been more obese people worldwide than underweight ones.

A chart showing the share of population facing hunger by region.
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