Maximo Torero highlights global decline in hunger despite rising costs for healthy diets in new UN report
Maximo Torero, chief economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization, reports that global hunger declined for the third consecutive year in 2025. The latest UN report shows that 7.8 percent of the world's population experienced hunger, a decrease from 8.1 percent in 2024. While the total number of hungry people fell to 645 million, Africa remains the primary hotspot, now home to the highest number of hungry people globally at 309 million. Despite the overall decline, Maximo Torero notes that 2.69 billion people still cannot afford a healthy diet. The cost of a nutritious daily diet has risen to $4.28 in purchasing power parity, driven largely by inflation and agricultural policies that favor starchy staples over fruits and vegetables. In Europe, the cost of a healthy diet rose 36 percent between 2021 and 2025. Experts suggest that governments must reform subsidies and invest in infrastructure to lower the costs of diverse food groups, which are essential for combating rising obesity and related diseases.