Global Hunger Index 2023: The Power of Youth in Shaping Food Systems

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is an interactive tool created to represent, evaluate, and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels. Each year, scores are calculated to capture the multidimensionality of hunger using four combined indicators: undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting, and child mortality – to determine a value for each country. The data are standardized and aggregated to produce a 100-point GHI Severity Scale score where zero is the best – no hunger – and 100 is the worst. Data come from collection efforts by the United Nations and several other agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Bank, and the United Nations Children’s Fund. 

The 2023 report highlights that global progress against hunger remains largely at a standstill, finding that 735 million people were undernourished in 2022. The 2023 results assess and rank hunger in 125 countries and find that in 43 countries, hunger remains serious or alarming, with the highest hunger levels in South Asia and Africa. The report underscores how overlapping crises– the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, economic shocks, and climate change– have been significant drivers of hunger, spurring numerous health and economic consequences for communities worldwide. This year’s report includes a special focus on The Power of Youth in Shaping Food Systems, highlighting the experiences of young people worldwide and their critical role in strengthening food systems. The report calls for investment in youth leadership and inclusion in policy and decision making, and presents case studies of youth engagement and opportunities to transform food systems worldwide. 
  
The GHI includes a report synopsis, posters, downloadable data, and policy recommendations.