ECONOMY

Global Hunger Index 2023

In the Global Hunger Index 2023, India ranked 111th out of 125 countries, indicating a serious level of hunger.

• Neighboring countries, such as Pakistan (102nd), Bangladesh (81st), Nepal (69th), and 
• Sri Lanka (60th), scored better than India.

                                                               Source: egranthakuti.com 

                                                       

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a peer-reviewed annual report published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe that comprehensively measures and tracks hunger at the global, regional, and country levels. The GHI is calculated using four component indicators:

• Undernourishment
• Child stunting
• Child wasting
• Child mortality

The GHI scores are classified as follows:

• Less than 9.9: Low
• 10.0 to 19.9: Moderate
• 20.0 to 34.9: Serious
• 35.0 to 49.9: Alarming
• 50.0 and above: Extremely alarming

The 2023 GHI score for the world is 18.3, considered moderate—less than one point below the world's 2015 GHI score of 19.1. This shows that little progress has been made in reducing hunger on a global scale since 2015. In fact, the prevalence of undernourishment has been on the rise since 2017, and the number of undernourished people has climbed from 572 million to about 735 million.

India in the 2023 GHI

India ranked 111th out of 125 countries in the 2023 GHI, with a score of 28.7, indicating a serious level of hunger. This is a slight improvement from its GHI 2015 score of 29.2, but still a cause for concern.

India's performance on the four GHI component indicators is as follows:

• Undernourishment: 16.6%
• Child stunting: 35.5%
• Child wasting: 18.7%
• Child mortality: 3.1%

The high prevalence of child stunting and wasting in India is particularly concerning, as it indicates that a significant number of children are not getting the nutrients they need to grow and develop properly.

Why is hunger important?

Hunger is a serious global problem that affects millions of people. It can have a devastating impact on individuals and societies, leading to physical and mental health problems, reduced productivity, and increased poverty.

Hunger is also a major contributor to child mortality. Every year, millions of children die from preventable causes, such as malnutrition and diarrhea.

What can be done to reduce hunger?

There are a number of things that can be done to reduce hunger, including:

• Investing in agriculture and food security programs
• Promoting social safety nets
• Addressing gender inequality
• Protecting the environment

It is also important to raise awareness of the issue of hunger and to advocate for policies that will help to ensure that everyone has access to enough nutritious food to eat.

Conclusion

The 2023 GHI shows that there is still much work to be done to reduce hunger on a global scale. India is one of many countries that is struggling with this issue. However, there are a number of things that can be done to address the problem, and it is important to remain committed to fighting hunger and ensuring that everyone has enough to eat.