1404. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the Asia-Pacific Region

The Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2025, jointly released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO), finds that while the region has made significant progress in reducing hunger, challenges remain in addressing malnutrition, food insecurity, and unequal access to healthy diets.

According to the report, the prevalence of undernourishment in the region is expected to decrease significantly, from 7.0% in 2023 to 6.4% in 2024. This progress represents 25 million people lifted out of hunger in just one year. Despite these achievements, the report cautions that progress remains uneven. Overall, Asia and the Pacific still accounts for approximately 40% of the world's hungry people, highlighting the region's critical role in achieving global food security and nutrition goals.

The report emphasizes that hunger is only one aspect of the region's nutrition challenge. By 2024, nearly one-quarter, or 24.4%, of children under five will be stunted, with South Asia having the highest rate at 31.4%. Child wasting also remains seriously high at 8.9%, above the global average and reaching 13.6% in South Asia. The region faces a double burden of malnutrition. Adult obesity is on the rise, particularly in Oceania, and anemia has become a serious public health concern affecting 33.8% of women aged 15-49, with long-term implications for maternal and child health, productivity, and economic development. Healthy diets remain unaffordable for millions. The cost of a healthy diet in Asia and the Pacific will average US$4.77 per person per day in 2024, exceeding the global average. South Asia remains the region facing the greatest challenges, with 41.7% of the population unable to purchase nutritious food.

Despite decades of strong economic growth and significant poverty reduction, too many people still suffer from undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and the adverse health effects of overweight and obesity. Therefore, the report calls for accelerated and transformative transformation of agrifood systems to address the root causes of all forms of food insecurity and malnutrition, adapt food supplies to dietary needs, improve access to affordable, diverse, safe, and nutritious food, and promote positive changes in dietary behaviors across the region.

The report calls for unprecedented collaboration across sectors, stakeholders, and scales to rebuild agrifood systems that can feed and nourish all people, sustain the planet's natural resources, and achieve equitable prosperity.

(Reference)
FAO, IFAD, WHO, and WFP. 2025. Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2025 – Accelerating actions for agrifood systems transformation for food security and better nutrition. Asia and the Pacific – Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition, 2025. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd7666en

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki, Information Program