A shocking 309 million people in Africa are hungry, according to a UN report published today. This is the first time Africa has surpassed Asia in the number of people facing hunger. The report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and four other UN agencies said this alarming figure represents 20 percent of Africa's population.

The centre of gravity of hunger has shifted from Asia to Africa, said David Laborde, director of the agrifood economics division at the FAO. He explained that while China's hunger problem has been solved, India is actively working to resolve its own.

Africa's proportion of the global population facing hunger has increased from 8.6 percent in 2022 to 7.8 percent in 2025, the UN agencies said. This represents a drop in 43 million people, but the total number of people facing hunger globally remains high, at 645 million.

Two-thirds of Africans (66.6 percent) cannot afford a healthy diet, more than double the level in Asia, the report added. The UN warned of the devastating effects of severe climate-related shocks and conflicts, which have aggravated the hunger situation.

The report encouraged African nations to prioritize transforming the animal source food sector, which is the most expensive food group in the region. This sector has significant potential for innovation and growth, the UN agencies said.

Africa has been hit by severe climate-related shocks in recent years, and conflicts have exacerbated the situation, the UN warned in May. It also warned that 20 million people face acute food insecurity due to the war in Sudan.

The impact of rising energy and fertiliser costs due to the war remains limited for the moment, Laborde said, adding that the crisis is not yet over.

‘Conflicts like the one in Sudan… in the Democratic Republic of Congo, also weigh heavily on people who cannot access their land or no longer have any income,’ said Laborde.

African nations have been urged to put in place policies that support small-scale farmers and increase access to affordable food sources. ‘We need to change the way we produce, distribute, and consume food,’ the UN agencies said in their report.

The report highlighted that the number of hungry people in Africa has been rising since 2017, but the most recent estimates suggest a turnaround in 2025. The UN agencies are now calling for urgent action to tackle hunger in Africa.

The prevalence of undernourishment has been on the rise in Africa since 2017, with 66.6 percent of Africans unable to afford a healthy diet.

‘The centre of gravity of hunger has shifted from Asia to Africa,’ Laborde said, highlighting the growing hunger crisis in the continent.