Africa has become the continent with the largest population facing hunger worldwide for the first time, surpassing Asia, according to the latest UN report. This reflects that malnutrition problems in Africa continue to intensify.
A report prepared by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) along with four other UN agencies states that in 2025, about 309 million people in Africa, representing 20% of the continent's population, face hunger—the highest in the world.
Meanwhile, Asia, previously the region with the most people suffering from hunger, has around 292 million affected, or 6% of its population.
David Laborde, Director of Agricultural and Food Economics at the FAO, said the epicenter of hunger has shifted from Asia to Africa. He explained that 25 years ago, China faced severe hunger problems but successfully addressed them, while India, though still struggling, has been seriously implementing corrective measures.
The report notes that the global proportion of people facing hunger has decreased from 8.6% in 2022 to 7.8% in 2025, reducing the number of hungry people worldwide by about 43 million to approximately 645 million.
However, this figure remains higher than levels before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Africa, malnutrition has been steadily increasing since 2017. Although recent data shows signs of improvement in 2025, the levels remain concerning.
Additionally, the number of Africans unable to access healthy food has continued to rise since 2021, contrary to trends in other world regions. Currently, 66.6% of Africa's population—about two-thirds—cannot afford nutritious food, a proportion more than twice that of Asia.
The UN identifies key factors worsening the situation in Africa as the effects of climate change, causing droughts and extreme weather, along with conflicts in several areas.
Laborde noted that wars in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo have left many people unable to return to farming or have lost income, making access to food more difficult.
Previously, the UN warned that the war in Sudan has caused over 20 million people to face severe food shortages, and also cautioned that prolonged conflicts in the Middle East could push millions more worldwide into acute hunger.
The report also recommends that African countries accelerate reforms in the animal food production sector, which is the most expensive food group in the region, to increase access to nutritious food and reduce long-term food security risks.
.Source:channelnewsasia
Click to read related news aboutinternational news