In the 19th edition of the Global Hunger Index (GHI) report for 2024, India has been ranked 105th out of 127 countries, signaling a serious hunger situation. The GHI score for India in 2024 is 27.3, reflecting significant hunger issues, though this marks an improvement from previous years. Despite this progress, India’s ranking is still concerning as it falls behind several of its South Asian neighbors, such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, but performs better than Pakistan and Afghanistan.
India’s Progress Over Time
- India’s 2024 GHI score of 27.3 shows a serious level of hunger, although it is a slight improvement from a score of 29.3 in 2016.
- The GHI score for India in 2000 was 38.4, classified as ‘alarming’. By 2008, it had decreased to 35.2, but was still in the ‘alarming’ category.
- While India has reduced its GHI score over time, the country continues to grapple with serious hunger challenges that affect a large portion of its population.
GHI 2024 Theme
The theme of the 2024 Global Hunger Index is “How gender justice can advance climate resilience and zero hunger“. This theme highlights the critical link between gender equality, climate resilience, and the global fight against hunger. It stresses the importance of addressing gender disparities in tackling hunger and malnutrition.
What is the Global Hunger Index (GHI)?
The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is an annually published, peer-reviewed report designed to measure and track hunger levels across the globe. First introduced in 2006 by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), along with Welthungerhilfe (a German-based organization), the GHI has become a crucial tool for monitoring global hunger. In 2007, the Irish NGO Concern Worldwide also became a co-publisher. Since 2018, IFPRI has no longer been involved, and the GHI is now jointly produced by Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide.
The objectives of the GHI are to:
- Raise awareness and deepen the understanding of hunger and its consequences.
- Provide a tool for comparing hunger levels between different regions and countries.
- Highlight areas in need of greater focus to address extreme hunger and malnutrition.
Global Hunger Trends
Global hunger reduction efforts have stalled since 2016, making the target of achieving Zero Hunger by 2030 increasingly difficult to meet. The global hunger score is 18.3, a modest improvement from 18.8 in 2016. Nonetheless, out of the 127 countries assessed, 42 countries continue to face alarming or serious hunger problems. An estimated 2.8 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet, further underscoring the global hunger crisis.
India vs. Neighboring Countries
India’s GHI score is particularly alarming compared to its neighbors, which have achieved better rankings despite having fewer economic resources. Countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh have made more substantial progress in tackling hunger, suggesting that economic growth alone is not sufficient to combat malnutrition and hunger effectively.
Sub-Saharan Africa
The region of Sub-Saharan Africa continues to experience the highest rates of malnutrition and child mortality globally. Ongoing conflicts in countries like Somalia and Sudan have exacerbated hunger crises in the region.
Key Issues Highlighted by the GHI 2024
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger by 2030: The GHI 2024 reveals that despite decades of progress, the global fight against hunger has stagnated, with 42 countries still facing alarming or serious hunger levels. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2—which aims to end hunger by 2030—remains a significant challenge.
- Gender Disparity: Women and girls are disproportionately affected by hunger and food insecurity due to discriminatory norms and violence, which limit their access to essential resources like food and healthcare.
- Call to Action: The GHI 2024 stresses the urgent need for coordinated global efforts to tackle the interconnected crises of climate change, gender inequality, armed conflict, and economic instability. These efforts must focus on supporting vulnerable populations, especially women, who are at greater risk of hunger.
Hunger and Malnutrition in India
India continues to face significant hunger and malnutrition challenges. Some of the key statistics highlighted in the 2024 report include:
- Child wasting rate: India has the highest rate of child wasting globally, at 18.7%. Wasting refers to children who are too thin for their height, an indicator of acute malnutrition.
- Child stunting rate: 35.5% of children in India are stunted, meaning they are too short for their age due to chronic malnutrition.
- Under-five mortality rate: The under-five mortality rate in India stands at 2.9%, indicating persistent issues with child health and nutrition.
- Prevalence of undernourishment: 13.7% of the Indian population is undernourished, meaning they do not receive sufficient calories for a healthy and active life.
While child mortality has improved significantly in India since 2000, issues like child wasting and stunting remain severe public health concerns.