The 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI) paints a sobering picture for India, revealing that its undernourished population, estimated at 200 million, is equivalent to the entire population of Brazil. This number represents about 14 per cent of India’s total population, a distressing figure that highlights the persistent and systemic challenges India faces in ensuring food security. Ranked 105th out of 127 countries, India’s position on the Index is classified as “serious,” yet the reality of its hunger and malnutrition crisis could arguably be deemed “extremely alarming.”
Despite its status as the world’s fastest-growing economy in 2024, India’s per capita income remains significantly lower than the global average, underscoring the severe income inequality that hampers many citizens’ access to essential resources, including food. This disparity is further exacerbated by rising food inflation, which more than doubled from FY22 to FY24, driven by extreme weather events and fluctuating agricultural outputs. While the country achieved record food production of 332 million tonnes in 2023-24, extreme weather has damaged vital crops, making food access unpredictable for the most vulnerable populations.
India’s troubling indicators extend beyond hunger. The nation’s infant mortality rate stands at 26 per 1,000 live births, while child stunting and wasting rates are alarmingly high at 35.5 per cent and 18.7 per cent, respectively. These figures suggest not only gaps in food distribution but also fundamental flaws in healthcare and social safety nets, as well as a failure to address the long-term impacts of climate change on food security. India’s impressive economic growth will remain hollow if it cannot provide its citizens with basic sustenance and well-being. Addressing these challenges requires a robust, multi-pronged approach focused on equitable income distribution, climate resilience, and enhanced healthcare systems. Only then can India hope to transform its demographic dividend into a true developmental advantage.
