India placed 100th in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 24.1, gaining two places but staying in the serious category.

BulletsIn

• The 2026 Global Hunger Index was released on October 14 under the theme "No Security Without Food Security."
• India ranks 100th among 122 countries with sufficient data, compared with 102nd out of 123 countries last year.
• India's score of 24.1 keeps it in the serious hunger category, where it has remained since 2012.
• The score has eased from 25.8 in 2018 and from 37 in 2006, though progress has slowed in recent years.
• India's score is higher than both the global average of 18.1 and the South Asia average of 23.5.
• Child wasting stands at 19%, the worst level in South Asia and India's most persistent nutrition concern.
• Child stunting fell from 50.0% in 2000 to 29.3% in 2026, a reduction of 20.7 percentage points.
• India has also recorded progress in reducing undernourishment and deaths among children under five.
• Pakistan ranks 106th with a score of 25.5, while Bangladesh and Nepal do better than India on several hunger indicators.
• The index is built from four indicators: undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality, with lower scores meaning less hunger.
• Worldwide, about 645 million people face hunger, and the global score rose to 18.1 from 17.6 in 2018.
• The report is published jointly by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, and 57 countries are projected to miss low hunger levels by 2030.

Tags: GlobalHungerIndex, FoodSecurity, ChildWasting