Global Hunger Index, 2024

India’s Ranking: 107 out of 127 countries, with a score of 27.3, indicating a serious level of hunger. ABOUT THE INDEX The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.

• High-income countries are not included in the GHI.
• The GHI has been released by Welthungerhilfe (lately in partnerships with Concern Worldwide) since 2000.
• The GHI ranks countries on a 100-point scale, with 0 being the best score (no hunger) and 100 being the worst, although neither of these extremes is reached in actuality.
• GHI scores are evaluated on four parameters divided in 3 broad categories.
  • Undernourishment
  • Child Stunting
  • Child Wasting
  • Child Mortality

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

GLOBAL INSIGHTS

Global GHI Score

• The world's overall GHI score is 18.3, categorized as moderate hunger, showing a slight decrease from 18.8 in 2016.

Countries in Crisis

• 22 countries have seen an increase in hunger since 2016.
• 20 countries have experienced stagnation in progress.
• Five countries (Fiji, Jordan, Libya, Syria, and Venezuela) have faced worsening hunger conditions since 2000.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

• Africa South of the Sahara
  • Highest Hunger Levels: Most concerning hunger status globally.
  • GHI Score Improvement: Significant over the last 20 years, but virtually stalled since 2016.
  • Child Mortality Rates: Highest in the world.
  • Climate Change Impact: Reduced agricultural productivity growth by 34% since 1961.

• South Asia
  • Serious Hunger: High levels of undernourishment and child undernutrition.
  • Undernourished Population: 281 million, accounting for nearly 40% of global undernourishment.
  • Key issues in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan, with progress noted in Nepal reducing child stunting.
• West Asia and North Africa
  • Stagnant GHI Scores: Moderate category affected by conflict and climate change.
  • Yemen: Long-term hunger crisis; Syria has seen significant score increases since 2000.
• Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Hunger Status: Low, but the only region where hunger has worsened since 2016.
  • Haiti: Rapidly increasing hunger levels due to multiple compounding crises.
• East and Southeast Asia
  • Low Hunger Levels: Progress has stagnated; significant disparities exist among countries.
  • Serious hunger in DPR Korea, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste.
• Europe and Central Asia
  • On Track for Low Hunger by 2030: Improvements in agricultural productivity and economic growth.
  • Turkmenistan and Tajikistan: Highest GHI scores in the region, though Tajikistan has shown notable progress.

INDIA’S STATUS

GHI Score and Ranking

• India’s GHI score of 3 places it in the "serious" hunger category.
• The country has seen a decline in rank from 111th in 2023 to 105th in 2024.

GHI SCORE TREND FOR INDIA

• India’s GHI score has fallen since 2000, however, child wasting and stunting remain very high.
• The GHI raises concerns, with recent data indicating that 3.2% of the Indian population does not meet minimum meal requirements.

India’s previous ranking: 101/116 countries.(2021) ;107/121 countries (2022); 111/125 countries (2023)

UNDERNOURISHMENT STATISTICS FOR INDIA

THE CURRENT GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS

• Extreme Hunger: 350 million people are currently experiencing extreme hunger conditions.
• Famine Risk: 49 million individuals are at the brink of famine.
• Chronic Undernourishment: Over 820 million people are suffering from chronic undernourishment.
• Malnutrition and Gender Disparities: 60% of those affected by malnutrition-related causes are women.
• Child Mortality: Approximately 5 million children under five die daily due to malnutrition-related causes.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS Several interlinked issues contribute to the current food crisis:

• COVID-19 Pandemic: The pandemic disrupted supply chains and food access.
• Geopolitical Conflicts: Ongoing conflicts exacerbate instability and food insecurity, particularly in regions like Ukraine and the Middle East.
• Economic Downturns: Inflation and rising food and fuel prices contribute to increased hunger levels.
• Climate Crisis: Erratic weather patterns, droughts, and floods impact agricultural productivity.

KEY ISSUES WITH GHI

Methodological Critiques

• Child-Centric Indicators: Three out of four indicators focus on children, which may not represent the hunger situation of the entire population.
• Stunting as an Indicator: Critics argue that stunting can occur in well-nourished populations and may not accurately reflect undernutrition.
• Outdated Data Sets: Some data sources, like National Family Health Surveys, lack timely updates, leading to potential inaccuracies.