Unpacking India's hunger crisis

India is currently the world's fastest-growing economy. However, the recent Global Hunger Index (GHI) reveals a worrying reality: In 2024, India has a "serious" level of hunger among the 127 nations assessed.

- SHIKHA CHATURVEDI

While India scored slightly better than Pakistan and Afghanistan, it lagged Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in South Asia. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have consistently performed better than India despite ongoing crises (chart 1).

India's ranking on the index, prepared by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, has also slipped over the years, standing at 105 among 127 countries in 2024. However, it has shown improvement compared to the previous year. Until 2023, all countries in South Asia except Afghanistan had a better ranking than India; in 2024, India had sligh