In the 2023 Global Hunger Index (GHI), India was ranked 111th out of 125 countries with a score of 28.7.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development in India criticized these rankings as “flawed” and not reflective of India’s true position.
In contrast, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka were ranked at 102nd, 81st, 69th, and 60th, respectively, by the GHI.
In 2022, India was positioned 107th out of 121.
The ministry argued that the GHI is an inaccurate measure of hunger due to methodological issues.
It relies heavily on indicators related to child health, which may not represent the entire population.
The highest regional hunger levels were found in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, both with a GHI score of 27.
The report, compiled by German NGO Welt Hunger Hilfe and Irish NGO Concern Worldwide, revealed that India’s child wasting (Child wasting refers to a child who is too thin for his or her height and is the result of recent rapid weight loss or the failure to gain weight) rate was 18.7 percent, the highest globally, indicating acute undernutrition.
The Global Hunger Index is a tool for comprehensively measuring hunger at regional, national, and global levels.
The latest report highlighted that despite extensive efforts, progress against hunger remains largely stagnant worldwide.
The head of the World Food Programme stated that the world is facing concurrent and long-term crises that will continue to drive global humanitarian needs, becoming the “new normal” for the humanitarian community, with repercussions for years to come.