International ReportsImportant2025-10-09

Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide release GHI 2025

Q: Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Global Hunger Index (GHI)? 1. It is published annually by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Bank. 2. The index considers child stunting and child wasting as part of its indicators to calculate the final score.

2 only — Statement 1 is incorrect because the GHI is co-published by European NGOs Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. Statement 2 is correct as the GHI score is based on four indicators: undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality.

In News

What Happened

On October 9, 2025, Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide released the 20th edition of the Global Hunger Index (GHI). The report revealed a global score of 18.3, indicating that worldwide progress toward ending hunger has stagnated since 2016. It highlighted that armed conflicts and climate shocks are major drivers keeping regions like South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa in the 'serious' hunger category.

Why It Matters

This report is critical for India as it falls within the South Asian region, which persistently struggles with 'serious' hunger levels, specifically high child wasting and stunting rates. Tracking GHI helps policymakers evaluate the effectiveness of domestic food security interventions like POSHAN Abhiyaan and the Public Distribution System.

Background

History & Context

The Global Hunger Index was first published in 2006 to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels. It measures hunger using four core indicators: undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality. The index score is calculated on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 2 - Zero Hunger.

What Changed

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BEFORE: Global progress against hunger was showing a steady decline in index scores prior to 2016. NOW: Progress has completely stagnated at a global score of 18.3, halting the decline in hunger levels for nearly a decade.
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BEFORE: Reports largely focused on chronic poverty and agricultural yields as primary drivers of hunger. NOW: The 2025 report explicitly emphasizes that compounding crises, specifically armed conflicts and severe climate shocks, are the dominant forces reversing localized food security gains.
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BEFORE: Moderate, sustained progress was expected across most developing regions. NOW: Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have stalled and remain entrenched in the 'serious' hunger classification due to structural and climate vulnerabilities.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This connects directly to Class 9 Economics Chapter 4 - 'Food Security in India'. The GHI data serves as a real-world application of the chapter's concepts on chronic hunger and malnutrition, proving that food security extends beyond mere foodgrain availability to include nutritional access and the mitigation of 'hidden hunger'.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Global Hunger Index (GHI)? 1. It is published annually by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Bank. 2. The index considers child stunting and child wasting as part of its indicators to calculate the final score.

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