Africa now has more hungry people than any other region in the world, even though global hunger fell for the third year in a row, a new United Nations report has shown.
The report, released by six UN agencies, estimated that 309 million people on the continent experienced hunger in 2025.
It also found that nearly 67 per cent of Africans could not afford a healthy diet. The findings show that millions of families are still struggling to eat well while other parts of the world record improvement.
The 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report pointed to a sharp gap between global progress and Africa’s situation.
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Around the world, the number of hungry people dropped to about 645 million in 2025 from higher levels recorded in recent years.
Africa, however, moved to the top in total number of hungry people because population growth outpaced the slight fall in the share of people facing hunger.
Healthy food still out of reach
The report showed that the problem is not only about hunger. It also affects access to nutritious food that people need to live healthy lives. Nearly 67 per cent of Africans could not afford a healthy diet in 2025. This means millions of households continue to depend on cheaper meals that may not provide enough nutrients.
The report estimated that 56.6 per cent of Africa’s population experienced moderate or severe food insecurity. This means many people had periods when they had to reduce either the amount of food they ate or the quality of their meals.
Women and people living in rural communities carried a heavier burden than other groups. Many families faced difficult choices as food prices stayed high and income failed to keep pace with daily needs.
Population growth changes the picture
Although the share of Africans facing hunger fell slightly from 20.3 per cent in 2024 to 20.0 per cent in 2025, the total number of hungry people increased because the continent’s population continued to rise. That pushed Africa’s total above Asia’s estimated 292 million hungry people.
The report showed that global hunger fell from 8.1 per cent of the world’s population in 2024 to 7.8 per cent in 2025. This translates to nearly 14 million fewer hungry people within one year.
The UN agencies warned that the progress recorded worldwide could be lost if conflicts continue, climate-related disasters damage food production and humanitarian funding keeps falling.
They projected that between 510 million and 520 million people could still face hunger by 2030 if food inflation linked to ongoing crises continues.
The report was produced by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organisation.
The findings show that global improvement alone is not enough to solve food shortages. Africa’s rising population, combined with conflict, climate shocks and limited access to affordable healthy food, means the continent faces a much tougher path in reducing hunger over the next few years. Millions of people will depend on stronger action to improve food production, protect vulnerable households and make nutritious food more affordable.
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