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Global hunger is slowing, but there are risks ahead
The recent United Nations report about the decline in global hunger is a welcome development. Amongst other things, the report states that:
“Estimates show that?7.8 per cent of the global population, or roughly 645 million people, faced hunger in 2025. This is down from?8.1 per cent in 2024 and?8.6 per cent in 2022, or nearly?14 million fewer people?than in 2024 and?43 million fewer?compared to 2022.”
There is a decline in hunger in various parts of Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. We also see some gains on the African continent, where the hunger rate decreased from?20.3 per cent in 2024?to?20.0 per cent in 2025.
But we are concerned about the path ahead. The rising incidents of climate shocks, wars, and likely higher food prices may reverse some of these gains.
In the near term, the one factor we are watching closely is the expected El Niño weather condition, which may bring drought in Southern Africa in the 2026-27 summer season and negatively affect farming activities. Other parts of the world may also suffer.
For Africa, this will be at a time when the World Food Programme is no longer fit for purpose, since the Trump Administration started scaling back its resources. This puts some countries that depended on that support in times of crisis at risk.
Moreover, the ongoing war in the Middle East is also another factor that may reverse some of these gains in ending global hunger. The higher agricultural input costs because of the war will continue to put pressure on global agriculture. The disruption in shipping is another challenge.
Overall, by 2025, the world had made some progress in fighting hunger. But the path ahead is risky, and we may see an undoing of some of the progress of the past years.
-Wandile Sihlobo is Chief Economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa.
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