Undernourishment in Asia Increases by 55 Million Since Pandemic

Women and South Asia Particularly Affected, North Korea and Afghanistan Have Highest Rates

55 million more people in Asia were undernourished in 2022 than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Most of those living without enough to eat are in South Asia, and women tend to be less food secure than men.
Natural disasters and disruptions to food supplies, often linked to climate change, have exacerbated the problem.
Worldwide, the number of people having precarious access to food rose to nearly 2.4 billion in 2022 from just over 1.6 billion in 2015.
North Korea has the largest regional share of people who are undernourished, at about 45%, followed by Afghanistan at 30%.