India Ranked 105th in 2024 Global Hunger Index: Urgent Challenges Persist

India is ranked 105th out of 127 countries in the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI), putting it in the "serious" category for hunger. Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe produced a report assessing hunger and undernutrition around the world, highlighting the obstacles that different countries confront in tackling food insecurity and malnutrition. With a score of 27.3, India continues to face severe hunger, malnutrition, and child mortality—issues that impede the country's progress and prosperity.

The GHI score is calculated using four essential indicators: undernutrition, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality. According to the report, 13.7% of India's population is unable to consume adequate calories, highlighting a major issue with food insecurity. Furthermore, 35.5% of children under the age of five suffer from stunting, which is an indication of chronic malnutrition that impairs physical and cognitive development. Another 18.7% of children in the same age range suffer from wasting, which indicates acute malnutrition and a low weight for their height. Furthermore, India has a high child mortality rate, with 2.9% dying before the age of five.

These results present a gloomy picture of India's struggle against hunger, putting it behind several of its South Asian neighbours, including Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, which have "moderate" hunger levels. Pakistan and Afghanistan, on the other hand, are in the "serious" category, underscoring regional problems. While countries like Bangladesh have achieved tremendous achievements in increasing nutrition and food security, India's growth appears to have stopped, posing substantial obstacles to the country's development goals.

The high prevalence of malnutrition, particularly among youngsters, has long-term implications for India's human resource development. Malnutrition, if not addressed, can hinder cognitive development, result in poor health outcomes, and reduce productivity, stifling economic growth. The problem is aggravated by continuing global food crises caused by conflicts, climate change, and supply chain disruptions, all of which have harmed food security around the world.

India's rating on the GHI highlights the critical need for a comprehensive approach to combating hunger and malnutrition. Experts suggest that tackling the core causes of hunger—such as poverty, insufficient access to nutritious food, and inadequate healthcare services—is critical to improving the country's food security position. While the government has initiated various programs to improve food access and nutrition, such as the National Food Security Act and the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, experts believe more has to be done to ensure successful implementation and serve disadvantaged groups.

Given India's present trajectory, the United Nations' objective of zero hunger by 2030 appears increasingly distant. To achieve this ambitious goal, the country must prioritise nutrition-sensitive measures that address both food quantity and quality. Furthermore, India must continue to address the multiple issues of poverty, inequality, and climate change, all of which increase hunger and malnutrition.

As the global food crisis worsens, the need for coordinated action to tackle hunger and malnutrition has never been greater. Without continuous efforts and policy reforms, India may struggle to improve its ranking on the Global Hunger Index, with far-reaching implications for its population and development ambitions.

--