In this article, we will take a look at 30 hungriest countries in the world in 2024. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can directly check out 5 Hungriest Countries in the World in 2024.
Global Food Insecurity
The hungriest countries in the world suffer from wars, political instability, corruption, pandemics, and geopolitical problems, among major issues. According to the World Food Programme, hunger has never reached such devastating levels since 1963. Intense poverty in countries such as Syria, Sudan, and Ethiopia has led to extreme hunger, impacting the lives of millions of people. The world faces enormous challenges in achieving the goal of ending hunger by 2030. According to the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2024, approximately 282 million people, or 21.5% of the population from 59 countries faced high levels of acute food insecurity requiring urgent food and livelihood assistance, as of 2023. Compared to 2022, the study found that the number of people suffering from acute food insecurity has increased by 24 million due to an expanded analysis coverage and deteriorating acute food insecurity in some countries.
The major acute food insecurity factors include conflicts, economic shocks, and weather extremes. Conflicts across 20 countries have affected over 134 million people who suffer from high acute food insecurity. Economic shocks have impacted 21 countries, where 75.2 million people are suffering from acute food insecurity. Whereas, nearly 72 million people across 18 countries face high acute food insecurity due to weather extremes. Afghanistan, Mali, Solomon Islands, and Sudan are some of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change.
Acute malnutrition among children and women in food-crisis countries continued to worsen in 2023, particularly among displaced populations and those affected by conflicts. Almost 26.6 million children face moderate acute malnutrition, while 9.8 million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition. Over 5.9 million children in Nigeria face acute malnutrition, followed by Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Pakistan. These countries are also some of the poorest countries in the world. Africa is the most impacted region in the world facing extreme food insecurity and acute malnutrition. All the major countries facing high levels of acute food insecurity analyzed in the study are from Africa, with 16% and 15% of the population in Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso facing high levels of acute food insecurity, followed by Chad, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Niger at 13%.
Countries hosting food-crisis-affected populations of over 1 million include Turkiye, Iran, Colombia, Pakistan, Uganda, Peru, Chad, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Sudan. Turkiye and Iran host over 3.5 million asylum-seekers who have suffered from food insecurity, while Colombia and Pakistan each host over 2 million refugees. Gaza is one of the most impacted areas due to war and 100% of the population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with over 26% of the population in a catastrophic situation and 53% of the population facing an emergency.
Ukraine is another country facing war and over 7 million people in the country suffer from acute food insecurity. However, the Ukrainian economy stabilized somewhat in 2023, with improvement in GDP growth and inflation. Earlier in May, Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy signed an agreement with BlackRock, Inc.’s (NYSE:BLK) Financial Market Advisory on providing support services to the Ukraine Development Fund.
READ ALSO: 15 Best Flood Insurance Companies Heading into 2024 and 20 Best Places with the Least Natural Disasters in the US.
BlackRock’s Investment in Ukraine
BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) is one of the largest global investment management firms as it manages assets worth over $10 trillion. BlackRock manages assets of large publicly traded companies, single-family homes, and critical infrastructure assets. Microsoft, Apple, Amazon.com, and Meta Platforms are some of the top holdings of BLK. The company manages assets on behalf of retail, institutional, and exchange-traded fund (ETF) clients.
BlockRock’s recent investment decision in Ukraine intends to attract private and public capital for large-scale business projects. The company has also recently signed an agreement with Saudia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to open a Riyadh-based multi-asset class investment platform. BlackRock sees a huge reconstruction opportunity in Ukraine and wants to bring in investors to rebuild the economy. BlockRock’s Global Head of the Financial and Strategic Investors Group, Charles Hatami, said:
“BlackRock is honoured to be assisting the Ukrainian people by advising the government on the launch of the Ukraine Development Fund. The reconstruction of the country will create significant opportunity for investors to participate in rebuilding the economy. The investment challenge facing Ukraine in the coming years will be enormous, and it will only be through the close cooperation of public and private capital that we will be able to address the scale of funding needed.”
BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) continues to make strides after yet another earnings beat. During Q2 2024, the company surpassed an EPS estimate of $9.96 per share and reported an EPS of $10.36. BlackRock posted a revenue of $4.81 billion, surpassing the estimated revenue by $28.59 million. The management has highlighted that they are on a growth trajectory, much faster compared to 2023. The company has added net new assets worth $80 billion. In Q2, BLK reported a double-digit operating income growth and increased its margin by 160 basis points year over year. Here are some of the comments from the management during the Q2 2024 earnings call:
“BlackRock continues to create more access and connections between long-term investors and capital markets, both in the United States and throughout the world. Early this quarter, we announced an agreement with the Public Investment Fund, the PIF, to launch an investment management platform in Riyadh, which aims to accelerate the development of our local capital markets and enable foreign investment into the region. We expanded our Jio-BlackRock joint venture in India beyond asset management to brokerage and wealth management. And just last month, we joined a new coalition to mobilize infrastructure investments in the Indo-Pacific region alongside GIP and other global investors. In the US, we announced the new opportunity for BlackRock to help expand domestic capital markets by investing in the creation of the Texas Stock Exchange.”
BLK is one of the top dividend stocks, with a dividend yield of 2.36%, as of August 22. However, BLK is not on our list of the best dividend stocks of all time, you can visit and see the 10 Best Dividend Stocks of All Time.
Out of 912 hedge funds, 47 were holding BLK, as of Q2 2024, compared to 45 during Q1 2024. William Von Mueffling’s Hedge Fund Cantillon Capital Management has increased its stake in BLK by 7%, as of Q2 2024. Whereas, Cantillon Capital Management owns BLK shares worth over $402 million. BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) is trading at 863.09 and has a consensus Buy rating with an average price target upside of 8.22% from current levels.
While we acknowledge the potential of BLK as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NVDA but trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
Now, let’s take a look at the 30 hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
Our Methodology
To compile our list of the 30 hungriest countries in the world in 2024, we gathered the list of countries based on the Global Hunger Index Score, as of 2023. The Global Hunger Index is obtained from a peer-reviewed annual report released as a joint publication of Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. The Global Hunger Index Score ranks countries based on the following four key indicators:
- Undernourishment
- Child wasting (height-to-weight ratio)
- Child stunting (height-to-age ratio)
- Child mortality (related to inadequate nutrition).
The hungriest countries in the world are ranked in ascending order of the higher Global Hunger Index Score. We have also used the humanitarian aid obtained by the countries as a secondary metric and the data is taken from the World Bank, as of 2022.
30 Hungriest Countries in the World in 2024
30. Bangladesh
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 19
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $5.19 Billion
Bangladesh has recently gone through a transition of government after extreme political conditions. Bangladesh received over $5 billion in aid, as of 2022. Bangladesh ranks 30th among the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
29. Guatemala
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 19.1
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $437.7 Million
Guatemala is a Central American country and almost 24% of its population, or 4.3 million people face high levels of acute food insecurity.
28. Solomon Islands
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 19.6
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $252.7 Million
Solomon Islands consists of several islands and is situated in the South Pacific region. The Solomon Islands has a relatively low poverty rate and fewer people face high levels of acute food insecurity.
27. Gambia
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 19.7
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $272.6 Million
The Gambia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with over 53% of the population under poverty, as of 2020. The Gambia has a global hunger index score of 19.7 and ranks 27th among the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
26. Botswana
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 19.9
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $89.5 Million
Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana had received over $89 million in humanitarian aid, as of 2022.
25. Jordan
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 19.9
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $1.98 Billion
Jordan hosts a large population of Syrian refugees. Over 0.5 million people or 62% of the Syrian refugee population in Jordan faced high levels of acute food insecurity. Jordan ranks 25th among the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
24. Côte d’Ivoire
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 20.6
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $1.97 Billion
Over 1 million people in Côte d’Ivoire suffered from high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023 and almost the same number of people are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity in 2024. High inflation and increasing commodity prices are a key reason for the hike in food insecurity levels.
23. Mauritania
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 21
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $327.7 Million
Around 4.6 million people in Mauritania are facing acute food insecurity. Of them, 0.4 million suffer from high levels of acute food insecurity, as of 2024. Mauritania ranks among the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
22. Togo
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 21.1
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $429.5 Million
Togo’s 8% of the analyzed population is projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity in 2024, which accounts for 0.5 million people. Togo had received over $429 million in aid, as of 2022. Togo ranks 22nd among the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
21. Malawi
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 21.1
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $1.34 Billion
Over 4.4 million people in Malawi suffered from high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023 and around 0.3 million of them are facing an emergency. Extreme weather and economic shocks are two major reasons for increasing acute food insecurity in Malawi.
20. Kenya
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 22
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $2.65 Billion
Kenya ranks 20th among the hungriest countries in the world in 2024. Nearly 5.4 million people in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands in Kenya faced high levels of acute food insecurity, including 1.2 million people in an emergency.
19. Benin
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 22.6
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $844 Million
Benin has improved with 0.5 million suffering from high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023 compared to 1.23 million in 2022.
18. Comoros
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 22.7
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $137 Million
Comoros is located in East Africa and is one of the poorest countries in the world. With a global hunger index score of 22.7, Comoros ranks 18th among the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
17. Djibouti
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 23
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $59 Million
Around 0.3 million people in Djibouti suffer from high levels of acute food insecurity. Of them, 0.1 million face an emergency. Djibouti is one of the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
16. Tanzania
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 23.2
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $2.66 Billion
Tanzania has obtained over $2.60 billion in aid, as of 2022. Nearly 0.9 million people in Tanzania are expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity in 2024.
15. Uganda
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 25.2
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $2.11 Billion
Over 2 million people in Uganda are expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity, which is a slight increase over the 2023 peak. Uganda ranks 15th among the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
14. Rwanda
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 25.4
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $1.07 Billion
Rwanda hosts over 135,000 refugees and asylum‐seekers and they are continuing to increase. The majority of the refugees rely on humanitarian aid but several factors in 2023 constrained assistance operations.
13. Burkina Faso
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 25.5
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $1.39 Billion
Around 3 million people in Burkina Faso suffer from high levels of acute food insecurity. Of them, 0.4 million are expected to face an emergency. Burkina Faso is one of the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
12. Mali
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 25.6
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $1.20 Billion
Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a poverty rate of over 44%, as of 2021. Mali ranks 12th among the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
11. Angola
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 25.9
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $97 Million
Angola has been facing poor rainfall during the 2023/24 cropping season, low household food stocks, and persistent food and fuel inflation. In 2024, over 1.5 million people are expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity.
10. Syria
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 26.1
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $8.27 Billion
Syria has been an epicenter of war for over two decades now. Nearly 12.9 million people faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023. Of them, 2.1 million were IDPs in camps.
9. Ethiopia
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 26.2
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $4.92 Billion
Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world. More than 18 million people are projected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity in 2024. Ethiopia ranks ninth among the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
8. Pakistan
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 26.6
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $1.84 Billion
Pakistan has been struggling with economic and political stability. Moreover, Pakistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. More than 11 million people are expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity.
7. Sudan
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 27
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $1.56 Billion
Sudan has been facing major conflicts and civil unrest. Over 17.7 million people are expected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity. Sudan is one of the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
6. Guinea
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 27.1
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $499.6 Million
Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world. Nearly 0.7 million people in the country are vulnerable to extreme food insecurity in 2024.
5. Papua New Guinea
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 27.4
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $661 Million
Papua New Guinea ranks fifth among the hungriest countries in the world in 2024. Papua New Guinea received over $660 million in humanitarian aid, as of 2022.
4. North Korea
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 27.8
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $12.8 Million
North Korea is one of the hungriest countries in the world. The country is going through major floods and a large population is vulnerable to food insecurity.
3. Republic of Congo
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 28
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $707.5 Million
The Republic of Congo is the third hungriest country in the world in 2024. Weather extremes, conflicts, and economic shocks are the major reasons for food insecurity. Over 0.9 million people faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2023.
2. Zimbabwe
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 28
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $782 Million
Zimbabwe is facing extreme inflation and more than 3.5 million people are projected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity in 2024.
1. Nigeria
Global Hunger Index 2023 Score: 28.3
Humanitarian Aid (2022): $4.44 Billion
Nigeria has the sixth largest population in the world and has one of the highest poverty rates. High inflation is causing a rise in food insecurity and over 26.5 million people are expected to suffer from high levels of acute food insecurity in 2024. Nigeria ranks first among the hungriest countries in the world in 2024.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published on Insider Monkey.
