Top 10 countries facing severe food insecurity in 2024–25: Bangladesh, Afghanistan, & Pakistan among the worst-hit

Drivers of food insecurity

Conflict remained the leading driver, impacting over 140 million people in areas such as the Gaza Strip, South Sudan, and others. Economic shocks, including inflation and currency devaluation, triggered hunger in 15 countries, affecting 59.4 million people—most notably in Afghanistan and Yemen.

Extreme weather events impacted over 96 million people globally, with Southern Africa, Southern Asia, and the Horn of Africa among the worst-affected regions. These drivers continue to worsen food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in already fragile areas.

Global Report on Food Crises 2025: Top 10 countries with the largest number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity

The list of the ten countries with the highest number of people facing acute food insecurity has remained unchanged since 2023. Each had over nine million people affected last year and collectively accounted for more than 196 million people –– 66 per cent of the global total.

Nigeria, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo alone represented more than a quarter (28%) of the 295.3 million people facing crisis or worse levels of acute hunger.

Countries such as Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Yemen have consistently appeared on this list since 2016.

Rank	Country	No. of people facing high acute food insecurity — 2024 Peak
1	Nigeria	31.8 million
2	Sudan	25.6 million
3	Democratic Republic of the Congo	25.6 million
4	Bangladesh	23.6 million
5	Ethiopia	22.0 million
6	Yemen	16.7 million
7	Afghanistan	15.8 million
8	Myanmar	14.4 million
9	Pakistan	11.8 million
10	Syrian Arab Republic	9.2 million

Source: IPC TWGs, 2024; Myanmar pre-analysis conducted under the HNRP; CH, 2024; FEWS NET (Ethiopia); WFP (CARI).

Top 10 Countries/Territories with the largest numbers and shares of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity

Afghanistan, the Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen were among the countries with both the highest number and share of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity. (Source: Global Report on Food Crises 2025)

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