At the current pace, at least 56 countries will not reach low hunger—much less Zero Hunger—by 2030, a new global report has revealed. It includes a total of 136 countries.
The report, titled 2025 Global Hunger Index: 20 years of tracking progress: Time to recommit to zero hunger was launched on October 10, 2025. It paints a bleak picture of the world’s progress towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of achieving zero hunger by 2030.
The report has been published by the Irish humanitarian organisation Concern Worldwide, the German aid agency Welthungerhilfe, and the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV).
According to the report, the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2025 score has barely improved since 2016.
After a period of notable gains up to 2016, the world’s GHI score of 18.3 in 2025 has barely shifted from 19.0 in 2016, and hunger remains in the ‘moderate’ category.
Hunger is classified as ‘serious’ or ‘alarming’ in 42 countries. In seven — Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Madagascar, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen — it is at ‘alarming’ levels. In 35 countries, it is at ‘serious’ levels.
In 27 countries, hunger has increased since 2016, reversing earlier gains.
The 2025 GHI scores of five countries—Fiji, Jordan, Libya, Solomon Islands, and Syria — are worse than their 2000 GHI scores.
In 10 countries with moderate, serious, or alarming 2025 GHI scores, progress has largely stalled. Their 2025 GHI scores have declined by less than five per cent from their 2016 GHI scores or have not changed at all.
The global score also conceals stark regional disparities. Hunger remains serious in both Africa South of the Sahara and South Asia, the two hardest-hit regions.
Africa South of the Sahara continues to record the highest hunger levels globally. Since 2016, progress has slowed sharply, with hunger rising in 10 countries. This reversal is driven primarily by the rising number of undernourished people, reaching extremely alarming levels in six countries — Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Kenya, Somalia, and Zambia.
Countries in West Asia and North Africa have made only limited progress in reducing hunger since 2016.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the reduction of hunger has slowed significantly.
East and Southeast Asia continues to exhibit an overall low level of hunger, but the pace of progress has slowed in the past decade.
The region of Europe and Central Asia continues to post the world’s lowest regional GHI score.
The report ranks countries based on four key indicators — undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality.
The main causes of global hunger remain ongoing wars and armed conflicts, the consequences of climate change, and a lack of political will to act.
Despite these regional pressures, several countries demonstrate that sustained progress is possible, even under difficult conditions.
Progress has been most notable in Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, Togo and Uganda although challenges remain.
Tajikistan’s progress is the most striking. Once the only country with an alarming GHI score, it is now nearing low.
Examples from countries such as Angola, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, and Sierra Leone show that targeted policies and sustained investments can drive meaningful progress in reducing hunger.
However, these gains remain fragile, highlighting the need for sound policies that promote sustained support, early-warning systems, climate resilience, and food systems transformation to protect and build on success.