Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo top the list for number of people facing food crises, while Gaza and South Sudan top the list for share of overall population impacted. 5 million children were acutely malnourished, including 10 million with severe acute malnutrition. Conflict is the primary driver of acute food insecurity and malnutrition, according to UN secretary-general António Guterres.
More than 85 million people were forcibly displaced in food crisis contexts in 2024. The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) projects that the number of countries falling into critical food insecurity could almost triple to 24 if global temperatures increase by 2C. Food systems in low-income countries are projected to deteriorate seven times as fast as those in wealthy nations due to climate change.
It's been a decade since this report shed light on the alarming state of hunger worldwide. Unfortunately, the situation has only worsened.
Nearly 59% of the world's population lives in countries with below average food security, according to IIED researcher Ritu Bharadwaj. Under a 2C heating scenario, food insecurity is projected to increase by more than 30% in worst-affected countries such as Somalia, DRC, Afghanistan, Haiti, and Mozambique, and by 3% on average in high-income countries. Low-income countries are responsible for 1% of global emissions while high-income countries are responsible for a larger share.
Cindy McCain, WFP executive director, said: "It's been a decade since this report shed light on the alarming state of hunger worldwide.
The same countries are caught in a devastating cycle of hunger — fueled by conflict and compounded by inadequate funding.
We have the expertise, resources, and knowledge to break the cycle of hunger, prevent famine, and save countless lives. What's needed now is a collective effort to end conflicts and the necessary resources to drive real change.
Countries already facing poverty, fragility and limited safety nets are projected to see the fastest deterioration in food systems, despite having contributed the least to global emissions.
Today, nearly 59% of the world's population already lives in countries with below average food security, and our projections show that climate change is likely to widen this gap.
Food systems today are deeply interconnected. Climate shocks in one major producing region can ripple through global supply chains and trigger price volatility elsewhere. Even if high-income countries remain relatively food secure, they will not be insulated from the impacts of climate instability on global food markets.