India ranked 101 out of 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 with a score of 27.5. India is behind its neighbours Pakistan (92), Bangladesh (76) and Nepal (76).
- The GHI 2021 report was prepared jointly by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German organisation WeltHungerHilfe.
- India ranked 94 in 2020 out of 107 countries (with a score of 27.2) and in 2019 India ranked 102 out of 117 countries.
- In 2021, with a GHI score of 27.5, India’s level of hunger is described as ‘serious’.
India’s GHI Scores and Change Since 2000:
| 2000 | 2006 | 2012 | 2021 | % Change since 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38.8 | 37.4 | 28.8 | 27.5 | 29.1 |
The level of hunger in India was described as ‘alarming’ with its GHI score decreasing from 38.8 in 2000 to the range of 28.8 – 27.5 between 2012 and 2021.
GHI 2021:
| Rank | Bottom 3 | GHI Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somalia (Extremely alarming) | 50.8 |
| 2 | Yemen (alarming ) | 45.1 |
| 3 | Central African Republic (CAR) (alarming) | 43 |
- Based on the current GHI projections of the report, the world as a whole, 47 countries, in particular, will fail to achieve a low level of hunger by 2030.
- The 18 countries including China, Brazil and Kuwait scored less than 5 GHI scores in 2021 and they are collectively ranked 1–18. Click here to know more
Key Points of the Report:
i.The GHI score for the world fell 4.7 points, from 25.1 to 20.4, between 2006 and 2012, it has fallen just 2.5 points since 2012.
ii.As per the GHI data from 2016–2020, hunger is considered extremely alarming in one country (Somalia), alarming in 9 countries, and serious in 37 countries.
iii.657 million people (nearly 8 percent of the world population) are projected to be undernourished in 2030.
iv.Africa, South of the Sahara, and South Asia are the world regions where hunger levels are highest.
About Global Hunger Index (GHI):
i.The GHI is a tool designed to measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and national levels. GHI scores are calculated every year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger.
ii.4 indicators: Under GHI, ‘Hunger’ is defined through GHI score which is calculated based on the following 4 indicators
- Undernourishment: The share of the population whose caloric intake is insufficient.
- Child Wasting: The share of children under the age of 5 who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.
- Child Stunting: The share of children under the age of 5 who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition and
- Child Mortality: The mortality rate of children under the age of five.
iii.GHI scores on a 0-100 point GHI Severity Scale, where 0 is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.
- GHI Severity Scale: GHI Severity Scale shows the severity of hunger from low to extremely alarming associated with the range of possible GHI scores.
| ≤ 9.9 Low | 10.0–19.9 Moderate | 20.0–34.9 Serious | 35.0–49.9 Alarming | ≥ 50.0 Extremely alarming |
Recent Related News:
India was positioned at an overall rank of 59th among 110 countries in the 3rd edition of ‘Digital Quality of Life Index (DQL) 2021’ prepared by cybersecurity company ‘Surfshark’. This is 2 positions lower than the 57th rank secured by India in the 2020 Index.
About Welthungerhilfe:
Establishment – 1962
Headquarters – Bonn, Germany
Chair of the Board – Marlehn Thieme
Patron – Frank-Walter Steinmeier (President of Germany)
