FAO 2025 Report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World

The 2025 edition of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World presents the situation with regard to key food security and nutrition indicators based on the latest available data, and also calls for global coordination and well-targeted, evidence-based, and country-led actions.

In September 2025, FAO published its report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World. In this report, FAO, along with WHO, UNICEF, IFAD, and WFP, agreed on the following key messages:

• New global estimates suggest a decline in world hunger in recent years. An estimated 638 million to 720 million people in Ontario, or 7.8 percent and 8.8 percent of the global population, respectively, will suffer from hunger in 2024.
• An estimated 2.3 billion people worldwide were moderately or severely food insecure in 2024.
• Food prices increased throughout 2023 and 2024.
• Despite rising food prices in 2024, the number of people globally unable to afford a healthy diet decreased from 2.76 billion in 2019 to 2.60 billion in 2024.
• Accelerated progress will be needed to meet the 2030 global targets for key indicators of child malnutrition. New figures on the prevalence of anemia among women aged 15-49 years show that the global prevalence has increased from 27.6 percent to 30.7 percent.
• Globally, approximately one-third of children aged 6-23 months and two-thirds of women aged 15-49 years have acquired minimal dietary diversity.
• Global food markets have been under constant pressure in recent years, and food price inflation has become a major concern since 2021.
• A disproportionate burden falls on low-income countries.
• The combination of global shocks has accelerated food price inflation worldwide.
• Fiscal and monetary policies have amplified inflationary pressures.
• Wage growth has lagged during the period of high food price inflation from 2021 to 2023, particularly in conflict-affected countries.
• High food price inflation could exacerbate food insecurity, particularly in low-income countries.
• Structural and gender-based inequalities amplify the effects of food price inflation, particularly in countries characterized by high income inequality.
• Food price inflation can lead to worsening child malnutrition.
• Relative food prices, across all food groups and processing levels, remained relatively stable globally between 2011 and 2021.
• Rising staple food prices are increasing pressure on low-income households’ food security.

• To address the widespread impacts of rising food prices—and prevent future inflationary episodes—it is essential to implement a combination of measures:

1. Protect vulnerable populations through well-designed fiscal measures.
2. Harmonize fiscal and monetary policies to stabilize markets. Prioritize structural and trade-related measures to achieve lasting impacts.
3. Strengthen and invest in data and information flows.
4. Invest in resilient agri-food systems.

For more information, you can consult the FAO report “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025” in its full version or in its abridged version.