Global Hunger Index 2024 List: The 10 Most Affected Nations! Where Does India Stand?

In order to make money, we all need energy to work and be productive. Additionally, this energy comes from nutrient-dense foods, providing the necessary fuel for our bodies to function optimally.

Food is vital to maintaining our physical health and mental health because it contains essential nutrients that support our immune system and cognitive function. A balanced diet also helps prevent chronic disease and improves overall quality of life.

However, in some countries people have limited access to adequate nutritious food, leading to widespread malnutrition and health problems.

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) has released a report naming more than 100 countries with the highest levels of hunger and malnutrition.

Furthermore, some countries did not exist within their existing boundaries in a given year or reference period.

Here is a list of the 10 countries with the highest levels of hunger and malnutrition, according to the GHI report. These countries face significant challenges in providing adequate nutrition and food security to their people.

List of countries with the highest global hunger index

According to the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI) released on October 10, 42 countries have severe or alarmingly high hunger levels.

The list below includes countries identified as having the highest levels of hunger, including Yemen, the Central African Republic and Chad.

Ranking (2024)

nation

2000

2008

2016

2024

127.1*

Burundi*

99—

99—

99—

49.935–49.9*

127.1*

South Sudan*

99—

99—

99—

49.935–49.9*

127

somalia

63.3

59.0

49.8

44.1

126

Yemen

41.6

36.8

39.6

41.2

125

Chad

50.5

44.8

38.8

36.4

124

Madagascar

42.3

36.6

33.2

36.3

123

Democratic Party. republic of congo

47.2

41.2

36.2

34.9

122

Haiti

39.8

39.8

30.0

34.3

121

Niger

53.1

39.6

32.8

34.1

120

Liberia

48.0

36.6

32.3

31.9

119

central african republic

48.0

43.5

32.6

31.5

118

South Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)

43.7

30.5

26.2

31.4

117

Sierra Leone

57.2

45.2

32.8

31.2

116

Afghanistan

49.6

35.7

27.1

30.8

115

Zambia

53.1

41.3

32.6

30.7

114

Guinea-Bissau

37.6

29.6

30.2

30.5

113

syrian arab republic

13.9

16.9

25.9

30.3

110

Nigeria

39.5

30.7

30.6

28.8

110

papua new guinea

33.7

32.8

30.0

28.8

110

Sudan

99—

99—

28.3

28.8

109

Pakistan

36.6

31.4

24.6

27.9

108

Zimbabwe

35.3

29.9

28.5

27.6

107

Mozambique

48.3

35.6

38.5

27.5

105

India

38.4

35.2

29.3

27.3

105

Uganda

36.1

28.5

30.3

27.3

104

East Timor

99—

44.8

29.4

27.0

103

Angola

63.8

42.7

25.9

26.6

102

Ethiopia

53.4

37.8

26.2

26.2

101

Rwanda

49.6

36.4

28.6

25.2

100

Kenya

36.3

29.0

24.0

25.0

99

Benin

33.7

26.9

23.6

24.7

98

Burkina Faso

44.9

33.7

25.6

24.6

96

Congo (Republic)

34.9

32.2

26.8

24.0

96

Mali

41.9

31.8

24.7

24.0

95

Guinea

40.1

31.5

28.2

23.2

94

Tanzania (United Republic)

40.5

29.7

25.0

22.7

93

Malawi

43.0

28.1

22.8

21.9

92

Djibouti

44.2

33.9

24.0

21.2

91

mauritania

30.4

18.8

22.3

21.1

90

Botswana

27.5

26.3

21.4

20.7

89

Cote d’Ivoire

33.1

35.2

21.5

20.6

Source: GlobalHungerIndex.org

These high scores are largely attributable to factors such as ongoing conflict, economic instability, climate change, and structural inequalities that hinder access to food and resources.

The reasons for the high hunger index in these countries

Conflict and instability: Countries such as Somalia and Yemen are severely affected by ongoing conflicts that disrupt food supply chains and lead to population displacement. War and civil strife exacerbate food insecurity and hamper humanitarian aid efforts.

Economic Challenges: High inflation and economic recession result in higher food prices and reduced access to essential nutrients. Chad, for example, faces economic instability that directly affects food supplies.

Climate change: Severe climate events such as droughts and floods have devastated agricultural output in countries such as Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This results in reduced food production and increased malnutrition.

Structural inequality: Many of these countries have deep-rooted social inequalities that limit access to resources such as education and health care, further exacerbating cycles of poverty and hunger.

India’s position on the Global Hunger Index

In the 2024 Global Hunger Index, India ranked 105th out of 127 countries.

Compared with its South Asian neighbors such as Bangladesh and Nepal, which fall into the “middle” category, India’s performance highlights the significant challenges in effectively addressing hunger and malnutrition.

Current rankings and challenges

India ranks 105th out of 127 countries and is classified as having “severe” hunger levels, with a score of 27.323. Key statistics show:

  • 13.7% of the population is malnourished
  • 35.5% of children under five are stunted
  • 18.7% suffer from marasmus
  • 2.9% of children do not live to see their fifth birthday

Reasons for hunger in India

India’s high hunger index can be attributed to several factors:

  • Intergenerational malnutrition: Poor maternal nutrition can lead to low birth weight and subsequent child health problems.
  • Economic disparity: Despite economic growth, inequalities persist, preventing equitable access to food resources.

Government initiatives to fight hunger

India has implemented several programs aimed at improving food security:

  • National Food Security Law (2013): This law aims to provide food subsidies to two-thirds of the population.
  • Mid-day meal programme: A flagship program aimed at increasing school enrollment while improving the nutritional status of children.
  • Poshan Abhiyan (National Nutrition Mission): Focuses on reducing malnutrition through targeted interventions for women and children.

Key challenges facing India in reducing hunger and malnutrition

Although India has adequate food production capacity, it faces several major challenges in reducing hunger and malnutrition.

One of the major issues is the inefficiency of the Public Distribution System (PDS), which often fails to deliver food to the needy due to inaccurate classification of households as below poverty line (BPL) or above poverty line (APL) and low-income households . Premium grains in distribution centers.

Furthermore, the lack of a coherent food and nutrition policy and poor interdepartmental coordination among government ministries hampers the effective implementation of nutrition programs.

Furthermore, intergenerational patterns of malnutrition persist, with maternal undernutrition adversely affecting child health, resulting in high rates of stunting and wasting in children.

Other contributing factors include micronutrient deficiencies, the impact of climate change on agriculture, and socioeconomic inequalities that limit access to nutritious food.

in conclusion

Compared with India’s GHI score, which was classified as “shocking” in 2000 with a GHI score of 38.4, the country has seen gradual improvement.

However, there is still a long way to go to achieve the goal of low hunger levels by 2030. Sustained government efforts and investments in improving food security and nutrition are critical to achieving this goal.

The full data was analyzed based on lists published by the Global Hunger Index, which ranks countries based on four indicators: malnutrition, child wasting, child stunting and child mortality.

As always, rankings and index scores from this data cannot be accurately compared to previously reported rankings and index scores. Therefore, the numbers presented may change significantly over time as countries make progress in tackling hunger and malnutrition.