SOFI 2026: Hunger at 645 Million, Healthy Diets Unaffordable
Why in the news
Five UN agencies published the 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition report on 21 July 2026, examining what drives up the price of a healthy diet.
Key facts
- Theme: Understanding and Addressing the High Cost of a Healthy Diet.
- Tracks: SDG Target 2.1 (hunger) and 2.2 (malnutrition), plus maternal and child nutrition goals.
- Hunger: 645 million (7.8%) in 2025, against 8.1% in 2024 and 8.6% in 2022.
- Unaffordable healthy diets: 2.69 billion people (32.7%); 66.6% in Africa.
- Cost split: animal-source foods, fruits and vegetables make up almost 70% of a healthy diet’s cost; starchy staples about one-sixth though they give half the calories.
Hunger by region, 2025
| Region | Hungry | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | 309 million | 20.0% |
| Asia | 292 million | 6.0% |
| Latin America and Caribbean | 32 million | 4.8% |
| Oceania | 3.7 million | 8% |
Africa’s rate dipped from 20.3% to 20.0%, but population growth pushed the headcount up. Food insecurity by area: rural 29.7%, peri-urban 25.4%, urban 22.3%.
Nutrition indicators
- Only 30.8% of children aged 6-23 months and 62.7% of women aged 15-49 had minimum dietary diversity.
- Anaemia among women aged 15-49 worsened to 30.7%.
- Adult obesity moved from 12.1% (2012) to 16.2% (2024).
India findings
- India drove Southern Asia’s progress and is decisive in the affordability data: leaving it out reverses the falling trend.
- On track for 2030 targets on stunting and child overweight; struggling with the 50% anaemia cut for women of reproductive age.
- Vegetable and fruit price swings sharply affect daily diet cost.
Concerns
- 510-520 million could still be hungry in 2030 against a pre-conflict projection of 503 million; 56% would be in Africa.
- 2026 West Asian conflict and Strait of Hormuz closure raised input and food costs.
- Post-farmgate costs account for 70-75% of consumer food prices.
- About 70% of farm support goes to staple grains, sugar and livestock.
- US cut roughly 90% of foreign aid contracts in early 2025, including $1.4 billion for emergency nutrition.
Way forward
- Redirect subsidies towards fruits, vegetables and pulses.
- Invest in cold storage, rural transport and processing.
- Shift agricultural R&D to high-value non-staples.
- Monitor the Cost of a Healthy Diet nationally and widen nutrition-sensitive cash transfers.