Africa has overtaken Asia as the primary global hotspot for hunger, according to a report released Tuesday by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
This shift marks a critical turning point in global food security, signaling that the drivers of starvation are intensifying in Africa while Asia sees a relative decline in its share of the undernourished population.
The report indicates that Africa now accounts for almost 60% [1] of the world’s chronically undernourished people. This is the first time the continent has overtaken Asia in this metric [1].
Several intersecting crises have contributed to this trend. The UN report attributes the worsening food insecurity to a combination of conflict, climate shocks, and economic pressures [1]. These factors have disrupted agricultural production, and limited access to affordable food across the African continent.
While the report highlights the deteriorating situation in Africa, it notes a decline in the share of undernourished people in Asia. The disparity suggests that while some regions are making progress in food stability, others are falling further behind due to systemic instability.
"Africa now accounts for almost 60% of the world’s chronically undernourished people, overtaking Asia for the first time," a UN Food and Agriculture Organization spokesperson said [1].
The FAO findings underscore the urgent need for targeted international intervention. Without systemic changes to address the climate and conflict drivers, the report suggests the concentration of chronic hunger in Africa will continue to rise.
“Africa now accounts for almost 60% of the world’s chronically undernourished people, overtaking Asia for the first time.”
The transition of the global hunger epicenter from Asia to Africa indicates that geopolitical instability and environmental volatility are now outpacing traditional development gains. While Asia's decline suggests successful scaling of food security measures, Africa's rise reflects a vulnerability to 'polycrises'—where war, weather, and economic collapse happen simultaneously—making the continent the primary focus for global humanitarian urgency.
