India’s ranking in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024, at 105th out of 127 countries, reflects significant challenges in addressing hunger and malnutrition.

Key Findings of the Global Hunger Index 2024

• India’s Rank in Global Hunger Index 2024: India ranks 105th out of 127 countries, placing it in the “serious” category for hunger levels.
• South Asia Comparison: India is ranked alongside Pakistan and Afghanistan in the “serious” category, while Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are in the “moderate” category.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

• Global Hunger: 733 million people face hunger globally, with 2.8 billion unable to afford a healthy diet.
• Alarming Hunger Levels: Several African nations are in the “alarming” category due to conflicts, including Gaza, Sudan, DR Congo, Haiti, Mali, and Syria.
• UN SDG Concern: The report concludes that achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger by 2030 is increasingly unlikely without significant progress.
• India has shown a lack of consistent decline or rise as seen in the graph.

About Global Hunger Index

• First published in 2006 by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), along with Welthungerhilfe (Germany) and later joined by Concern Worldwide (Ireland) in 2007.
• The GHI is published annually and is designed to measure and track hunger across the globe, reflecting multiple dimensions of hunger through time.
• The score is calculated on a 100-point scale:
  • 0 represents the best possible score (no hunger),
  • 100 is the worst.
• Each country is classified based on its GHI score, ranging from low to extremely alarming.

Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store

GHI Indicators

• Undernourishment: Share of the population with insufficient caloric intake.
• Child Stunting: Share of children under five with low height for their age (chronic undernutrition).
• Child Wasting: Share of children under five with low weight for their height (acute undernutrition).
• Child Mortality: Share of children who die before reaching the age of five, often due to malnutrition and poor health environments.