21:35 - 17.07.2026

---

July 17, Fineko/abc.az. According to a study by the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), despite improvements in the global food situation, nearly 32% of the world's population (2.6 billion people) still cannot afford a healthy diet.

This marks the fourth consecutive year of recovery following the post-COVID peak in 2021, when the number of people facing chronic hunger reached 697.5 million (8.8% of the population). The total number of undernourished individuals has now decreased to 673.2 million (8.2% of the global population), compared to 584.1 million in 2019. The primary hotspots for hunger remain Asia and Africa, accounting for 47% and 45% of the total, respectively. If current trends persist through 2026, the hungry population will hover around 660 million, and FAO projections suggest that by 2030, this figure could drop to 512 million (6% of the population)—with 60% concentrated in Africa, falling short of the global "Zero Hunger" target.