In the latest Global Hunger Index (GHI) for 2023, India has been ranked 111 out of 125 countries, marking a decline from its 107th position in 2022.
What is the Global Hunger Index? It is an annual assessment of hunger levels globally, published by Irish NGO Concern Worldwide and German NGO Welt Hunger Hilfe.
It provides valuable insights into the state of hunger and food insecurity around the world and is widely used by policymakers, researchers, and organizations working to combat hunger and malnutrition.
The Global Hunger Index combines four main indicators to assess the severity of hunger in a given country:
Undernourishment: This indicator reflects the proportion of the population that is undernourished or not receiving enough calories to maintain proper health and growth.
Child Mortality: This indicator considers the under-five mortality rate, which is the likelihood of a child dying before the age of five. High child mortality rates are often associated with food and nutrition insecurity.
Child Wasting: Wasting is a measure of acute malnutrition in children, often resulting from a recent and severe food shortage or illness. The GHI takes into account the percentage of children under the age of five who are wasted.
Child Stunting: Stunting is a measure of chronic malnutrition in children, which leads to impaired growth and development. The GHI considers the percentage of children under the age of five who are stunted.
Key highlights of GHI 2023:
The GHI 2023 report highlights that India has the highest child-wasting rate in the world, standing at 18.7 percent during 2018–22, which signifies acute undernutrition.
The rate of undernourishment in India is reported at 16.6 percent, and the under-five mortality rate is 3.1 percent.
The prevalence of anemia among women aged between 15 and 24 years in India is alarmingly high at 58.1 percent.
India’s overall GHI score is 28.7, categorizing the hunger situation in the country as “serious.”
India’s 111th position on GHI 2023 is highly criticized by the Women and Child Development Ministry of India, a key governmental body. According to the ministry, the index suffers from “serious methodological issues and shows a malafide intent.”
In comparison to the neighboring countries, India’s GHI ranking appears stark: India - 111th; Pakistan – 102nd; Bangladesh - 81st; Nepal - 69th; and Sri Lanka - 60th.
Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chile, China, and Croatia are the top five countries in GHI 2023. Chad, Niger, Lesotho, Congo, Yemen, Madagascar, and Central African Republic are the countries ranked at the bottom of the index.
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