30 Hungriest Countries in the World

In This Article:

This article will discuss countries with the highest hunger rates to show the levels of global food insecurity. If you want to skip our analysis of how conflict and economic crisis are making millions starve, read 10 Hungriest Countries In The World

Among geopolitics and economic disparities, the grim reality of food insecurity in the hungriest countries in the world remains one of the most unresolved issues. According to the World Food Programme, hunger has never reached such devastating levels since 1963.

The number of malnourished people in 2021 was 828 million, while those suffering from acute hunger stood at 193 million, according to the Global Report On Food Crisis 2022. The comprehensive study found that the number of people facing extreme hunger rose by 40 million between 2020 and 2021. 

As per the Global Hunger Index 2022,  35 nations have serious hunger levels. If we talk about the hungriest regions in the world, surprisingly, South Asia has now taken over Africa south of the Sahara in a span of 2 years. In 2020, South Asia's GHI (Global Hunger Index) score was 26, which has now risen to 27.4. Contrarily, Sub-Saharan Africa's GHI in 2020 was 27.8, now dropped to 27. Notably, if a country's GHI scores provide a way to compare the state of hunger among different countries and regions. The GHI score is a number between 0 and 100, with 0 being the best possible score (no hunger) and 100 being the worst.

The scores are categorized into levels of hunger severity as follows:

  • Low (0-9.9)

  •  Moderate (10-19.9)

  • Serious (20-34.9)

  • Alarming (35-49.9)

  • Extremely Alarming (50 and above)

Based on this ranking system, 10 countries have alarming high hunger levels as of current, with millions facing extreme food insecurity and even more going through malnutrition. As food security and comfortable living, in general, are directly related to financial status, know which nations have it hard by reading 40 Countries With Highest Rates Of Poverty.

How Can Advancements In The Food Sector Reduce Hunger?

Such high hunger rates are alarmingly set against the backdrop of an ever-growing global food production system. While advanced agrochemicals developed by companies like Nutrien Ltd (NYSE:NTR) and Corteva, Inc (NYSE:CTVA) have helped farmers increase crop yield and overcome plant diseases, irresponsible food handling can very much nullify these changes. Think of all the wasted food products, which are a fruit of the labor of farmers, agrochemical companies like Nutrien Ltd (NYSE:NTR) and Corteva, Inc (NYSE:CTVA), and massive supply chains, reaching the malnourished countries and not going to dumps. This is one massive change that is required to deal with the global hunger crisis.