Goal 2 of 17 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
Hunger rose sharply after 2019 and remains persistently high. In 2023, 9.1 per cent of the world's population faced hunger — between 713 and 757 million people, up from 7.5 per cent in 2019, with one in five people affected in Africa alone. Nearly 2.33 billion people, almost three in ten, faced moderate or severe food insecurity.
Child malnutrition is improving slowly: between 2012 and 2024 the global prevalence of stunting among children under five declined, meaning about 30 million fewer stunted children. Even so, more than 150 million children remain stunted, and progress is far too slow to meet the 2030 targets.
The food system itself is part of the problem. Small-scale producers earn substantially less than larger farms, and although public spending on agriculture reached a record $701 billion in 2023, it still accounts for less than 2 per cent of total government expenditure. Food prices in many countries remain far above pre-pandemic levels.
Ending hunger by 2030 means investing in sustainable food production, supporting small-scale farmers, halving food waste, and guaranteeing access to affordable, nutritious diets for everyone.