As we welcome 2025 and close the first quarter of the 21st century, it is a moment for reflection. We find ourselves at a pivotal midpoint—five years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and five years away from the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet, food and nutrition insecurity remain pressing global challenges. Many countries continue to grapple with recurring crises fueled by climate change, high food prices, and conflict, all of which undermine access to the healthy, nutritious food that people need to thrive.
Monitoring food and nutrition security is a notoriously challenging task and one that often suffers from major data gaps. In this blog, we highlight five alarming statistics that underscore the urgency of the global food and nutrition security situation and discuss how data innovations are pivotal in combating global hunger.
The alarming state of global food and nutrition security
1. A surge in global malnutrition
Last year’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report found that up to 733 million people globally suffered from malnutrition in 2023, an increase of 152 million since 2019. This sharp rise underscores the escalating crisis of hunger and food insecurity worldwide.
2. Hidden hunger affecting 2.8 billion people
The same report concluded that rising food prices and income inequality have led to 2.8 billion people being unable to afford a healthy diet in 2022, contributing to what is termed as “hidden hunger.” Rising food prices disproportionately affect poorer households which spend a greater proportion of their incomes on food.
3. Food prices driving extreme poverty
World food prices have declined from their 2022 peaks, but price dynamics will remain a key determinant of food security in 2025. During the sharp price rises in 2022, World Bank estimations found that a mere 1% rise in global food prices pushes an additional 10 million people into extreme poverty. This underscores the vulnerability of low-income populations to even seemingly minor market fluctuations.
4. The high cost of inefficiencies
Last year, researchers at the University of Oxford and London School of Economics concluded that market failures and inefficiencies contribute to $10 trillion in hidden costs each year within the global food system. These losses highlight the need for systemic changes to transform our food systems to be more efficient, equitable, and less wasteful so that we can sustainably feed people with nutritious food on a livable planet.
5. A bleak outlook without intervention
Without bold investments and policies, our own World Food Security Outlook projections indicate that more than 950 million peoplecould remainat risk of facing severe food insecurity by 2030, pushing us even further away from achieving our global goal of Zero Hunger.
Data gaps exacerbate the crisis
Statistics like these already paint a concerning picture. This global challenge, however, may be much bigger when we account for the significant gaps in our food and nutrition security data.
- For instance, over half of the world’s food-insecure population lives in countries lacking reliable data, leading to uncertainty in estimated global totals and hindering effective intervention strategies.
- Around 70% of the global population resides in countries without sufficient data to track progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 1 (ending poverty) and SDG 2 (ending hunger) consistently.
- Since 2015, the Food and Agriculture Organization has tracked the number of people facing severe food insecurity worldwide—those who run out of food, go hungry, or endure entire days without eating. While data availability and quality has improved globally, fragile countries in particular face critical gaps. In 18 countries classified as experiencing institutional and social fragility, only 4 have reliable national food security statistics that track changes over time.
Data innovations to address food insecurity
Investments in primary data collection are first and foremost needed to address this. To complement this, several innovative solutions are also emerging:
1. Breaking barriers to data-driven decisions
To combat the fragmented data landscape, the World Bank, as part of the Global Alliance for Food Security, created the Global Food and Nutrition Security Dashboard. This platform curates over 45 indicators from more than 40 organizations, providing a better global picture of food and nutrition security while also helping identify where data gaps exist.
2. Accelerating insights with real-time data
New methods are paving the way for faster data. Utilizing machine learning, real-time price data is tracked in over 2,100 markets across 36 countries. This innovative approach enables immediate insights into food inflation, helping to monitor and fill in critically missing food security data gaps effectively.
3. Harnessing these data innovations for better results
Improved data systems are enhancing early warning capabilities in fragile contexts. In countries like Somalia and Yemen, new technologies are being pioneered to deliver food security analyses at a fraction of traditional costs:
A call to action: delivering the right data at the right time to make the right decisions
To drive meaningful progress, we must invest in robust data systems and harness technological innovations to transform a fragmented data landscape into a more cohesive and actionable one. Better data leads to better decisions, and with food security conditions worsening, the need for timely, accurate insights has never been more urgent.
As part of our commitment to addressing food and nutrition insecurity, we are accelerating efforts to equip countries with high-frequency monitoring solutions powered by advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence. In collaboration with partners, we aim to expand the Joint Monitoring Report into an innovative, cost-effective platform for rapid, data-driven food security assessments in 60 countries by 2030.
Additionally, we are strengthening our forecasting capabilities by integrating new metrics into forward-looking databases such as the World Food Security Outlook. These enhancements will improve forecast precision, better anticipate aid needs, and more accurately identify protracted crises and emergency hotspots through 2030, enabling earlier responses to future crises. At the same time, we recognize that these advanced capabilities depend on the availability of high-quality primary data to function effectively.
Global leaders, policymakers, and partners can make investments to ensure the right data is available at the right time to drive informed, effective decisions. By staying ahead of this rapidly evolving landscape, we can turn insights into action and build a more resilient, food-secure future.
Source: blogs.worldbank.org