Overview
The State of Food Security and health.kporia.com/6-things-doctors-want-patients-to-know-about-better-nutrition/” title=”6 things doctors want patients to know about better nutrition”>Nutrition in the World 2026 (SOFI) is the UN system’s flagship assessment of global hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, produced jointly by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. It tracks progress toward SDG 2 through the latest global and regional estimates on food insecurity, diet quality and the global nutrition targets, while offering evidence‑based insights that shape policies and investments across the food system. Each edition provides governments, development partners and donors with authoritative guidance on where action and resources are most urgently needed to reduce hunger and improve nutrition. In 2026, SOFI focuses on the rising cost of healthy diets, the structural and economic forces driving these trends, and the policy levers that can make nutritious foods more accessible and affordable.
The 2026 findings show that while global food security and nutrition improved modestly in 2025, progress remains uneven and insufficient to meet the 2030 targets. Hunger affected 7.8 percent of the world’s population, and 2.1 billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity—yet these figures also reflect meaningful gains, including the first signs of improvement in Africa since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda. Persistent disparities remain, particularly for women, young children and rural communities, and diet quality continues to lag worldwide. With healthy diets still out of reach for billions—especially in Africa, where two‑thirds of people cannot afford one—the report underscores the need for coordinated, multisectoral action to reduce structural costs, strengthen food systems and ensure equitable access to nutritious foods for all.
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Joint news release
UN report: Global hunger levels ease for third consecutive year as regional disparities persist
WHO Team
Nutrition and Food Safety (NFS)
Editors
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO).
Number of pages
249
