While millions of people around the world cannot access enough food, a significant portion of the food produced goes to waste without being consumed.
According to UN data, approximately one-fifth of the food served to consumers is wasted.
According to the research published by Al Jazeera within the scope of World Food Day on October 16, approximately 645 million people, corresponding to 7.8 percent of the world's population, faced hunger in 2025.
Data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) showed that although global hunger has decreased for the last three years, it has not yet returned to the levels before the Covid-19 outbreak.
According to the UN's 2026 World Food Security and Nutrition Status Report, while 8.6 percent of the world's population faced hunger in 2022, this rate decreased to 8.1 percent in 2024 and 7.8 percent in 2025.
However, the number of people suffering from hunger is approximately 61 million higher than in 2019.
Data reveal that despite a limited improvement on a global scale, hundreds of millions of people do not have adequate and regular nutrition.
Africa stands out as the region with the highest number of people struggling with hunger in the world.
It is estimated that approximately 309 million people in Africa will be malnourished by 2025. This figure shows that one in every five people on the continent faces hunger.
Approximately 292 million people in Asia and 32 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean suffer from hunger.
According to the 2026 Global Hunger Index, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Madagascar are among the countries with the most severe hunger problem.
In the index where 122 countries are evaluated, Somalia stands out as the country with the most negative hunger indicators.
Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi and Yemen are among the countries where the hunger situation is at alarming levels.
However, due to conflicts and lack of data, exact index scores could not be calculated for these countries.
While millions of people are struggling with hunger in one part of the world, a significant portion of the food produced is lost without being consumed.
According to FAO, approximately 13 percent of global food production is lost after harvest in storage, transportation and processing before it reaches markets.
According to the data of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), approximately 1.05 billion tons of food offered to consumers in 2022 was wasted.
This amount corresponds to approximately 52.5 million truckloads of food, each carrying a load of 20 tons.
Households are responsible for the largest portion of global food waste. According to UN data, 60 percent of consumer-level food waste occurs in homes, 28 percent in restaurants and other food service businesses, and 12 percent in retail outlets.
According to the global average, approximately 132 kilograms of food is wasted per person per year. Approximately 79 kilograms of this is thrown away directly at home.
According to UN estimates of food waste per capita, the Maldives ranks first with approximately 260 kilograms per year.
This amount is approximately twice the global per capita average. Maldives is followed by Syria, Dominican Republic, Seychelles, Mexico and Tunisia. In these countries, annual food waste per capita is over 210 kilograms.
Spain is among the countries with the lowest levels, with an annual food waste estimate of approximately 39 kilograms or less per capita.
According to UN data, the annual cost of food loss and waste to the global economy is over 1 trillion dollars. Along with wasted food, water, energy, labor and agricultural land used in production are also wasted.
It is estimated that approximately 1.4 billion hectares of agricultural land are used to produce food that is never consumed. This area corresponds to approximately 28 percent of the world's total agricultural land.
Food loss and waste is also responsible for approximately 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Methane gas, especially released by rotting food in landfills, is among the factors that accelerate climate change.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization states that consumption habits must be changed to reduce food waste at home. Experts' suggestions include preparing a list of needs before going shopping, storing food in appropriate conditions, checking expiration dates and utilizing leftovers.
In addition, using freezers, adjusting portions according to need, and consuming previously purchased products first are among the methods that can reduce food waste.
World Food Day, celebrated every year on October 16, is held on the anniversary of the founding of FAO in 1945 to draw attention to hunger and food security issues.
The theme for 2026 was determined as "Innovate today, nourish tomorrow".
The UN emphasizes that increasing food production, as well as using existing resources more efficiently and reducing waste, are critical in the fight against global hunger.
