Global Hunger Index 2024

The 19th edition of Global Hunger Index (GHI) has ranked India 105th, which places it under the “serious” category of the analysis.

Key-Findings of the Index

• India is among 42 countries that fall within the “serious” category, alongside Pakistan and Afghanistan, with other South Asian neighbours such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka showing better GHI scores to be listed under the “moderate” category.
• With a score of 27.3 in the 2024 Global Hunger Index, India has a level of hunger that is serious.
• India’s GHI Score is based on the values of four component indicators:
  • 7 per cent of the population is undernourished (share of the population with insufficient caloric intake)
  • 5 per cent of children under five are stunted (share of children under age five who have low height for their age to reflect “chronic” undernutrition)
  • 7 per cent of children are wasted (share of children under five who have low weight for their height due to “acute” undernutrition)
  • 9 per cent of children die before their fifth birthday (mortality refers to the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments)
• Globally, around 733 million people face hunger each day due to a lack of access to a sufficient amount of food, while about 2.8 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet.

Why in India starving?

Rice, wheat, milk and sugarcane — India is among the largest producers of these agricultural commodities, yet millions are still starving in the world’s most populous country.

• Economic issue: Hunger is the result of widespread poverty, rapid population growth, pockets of weak governance, poor health systems, and unreliable national indicators.
• Logistical setbacks: There is lack of supply chain. India’s “poor infrastructure” has led to almost 40% of postharvest losses for some products.
• Postharvest losses refer to food lost in the supply chain from the harvesting of crops to the consumption process. Vegetables and fruits expire more quickly when there’s a lack of cold storage, and hundreds of tonnes of food grains risk rotting in warehouses.
• Increasing demand: India’s food problem is also compounded by the fact that the rising middle classis on course to demand for more food — and better quality food as well.
• Other reasons for India’s low productivity: “inefficient” food distribution systems, erratic and unusual weather, heavy regulations as well as lack of education and training for farmers.