As the world marks World Food Day, new findings show that high food costs and weaknesses across agricultural supply chains continue to deny millions access to nutritious meals.
In Africa, more than two-thirds of the population could not afford a healthy diet in 2025, highlighting the gap between food availability and access to nutritious meals.
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 report, jointly published by five United Nations agencies, estimates that 66.6 per cent of Africa’s population was unable to afford a healthy diet last year, compared with 28.9 per cent in Asia and 25.7 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The findings expose a persistent challenge for African countries, where improving food security requires households to be able to afford diverse, nutritious foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes and animal-source foods.
Globally, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet declined from nearly three billion in 2021 to 2.69 billion in 2025, representing 32.7 per cent of the world’s population. Africa moved in the opposite direction, with the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet rising from 935 million in 2021 to approximately 1.03 billion in 2025.
The report attributes the challenge partly to rising food prices and structural weaknesses in agrifood systems that affect the cost of producing, transporting, processing and selling nutritious foods.
The global average cost of a healthy diet reached 4.28 purchasing power parity dollars per person per day in 2025, up from 3.44 dollars in 2021 and 2.94 dollars in 2017.
The report also estimates that 645 million people faced hunger globally in 2025, equivalent to 7.8 per cent of the population. Africa accounted for 309 million of those affected, or 20 per cent of its population, making it the region with the largest number of people facing hunger.
Although the global hunger rate has declined for three consecutive years, the report warns that progress remains uneven. Between 510 million and 520 million people could still face hunger in 2030, with 56 per cent expected to be in Africa.
The report identifies the high cost of nutritious foods as a central obstacle to better diets. Animal-source foods are, on average, the most expensive food group in Africa, while fruits and vegetables also account for a disproportionate share of the cost of a healthy diet.
Staple foods contribute substantial dietary energy at a relatively low cost, but access to staples alone does not guarantee adequate nutrition as healthy diet must provide sufficient nutrients, balance, diversity and moderation.
The five UN agencies argue that governments should address costs throughout the food supply chain rather than rely on isolated interventions.
Agricultural research, improved crop yields, irrigation, better roads, efficient transport, reliable electricity and stronger market connections are among the measures associated with lower costs for healthy diets.
The report notes that post-farmgate activities account for between 70 and 75 per cent of what consumers pay for food. Processing, logistics and wholesale activities alone can account for up to 40 per cent of value-chain costs, making inefficiencies beyond the farm a major target for reform.
The report says investments in cold chains and better post-harvest handling could also reduce food losses and improve the supply of perishable produce. Expanding domestic production and facilitating trade could increase the availability of nutritious foods while helping to moderate prices.
However, the report cautions that cost-reduction measures must protect environmental sustainability, public health and decent rural livelihoods. Small-scale farmers, women and young people should also benefit from reforms and investment.
The affordability crisis is reflected in dietary diversity among vulnerable groups. Globally, only 30.8 per cent of children aged six to 23 months achieved minimum dietary diversity, compared with 20.5 per cent in Africa. Among women aged 15 to 49 years, the corresponding global figure was 62.7 per cent, against 43 per cent in Africa.
These findings underline the importance of making nutritious foods accessible during pregnancy and early childhood, when adequate diets are critical to growth and development.
