Global Food Waste and Hunger Data
Data released as part of World Food Day reveals that while millions of people struggle with hunger, one in every five plates of food is thrown into the trash.
Reports published on the occasion of World Food Day highlight the dimensions of global food waste and the latest situation regarding the number of undernourished people.
World Food Day and Global Hunger
According to United Nations data, approximately 645 million people worldwide faced hunger in 2025, which corresponds to 7.8 percent of the global population.
Although the global hunger rate has been declining for the past three years, it continues to remain above pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
Malnutrition by Region
Africa stands as the region with the highest number of hungry people in the world, with one in every five people on the continent being undernourished.
According to Global Hunger Index data, the level of hunger was measured at an alarming level in eight countries, seven of which are located in Africa.
Dimensions of Food Waste
Globally, approximately 13 percent of produced food is lost after harvest before reaching stores, while one-fifth of the food that reaches consumers goes to waste.
Households account for 60 percent of the total waste, followed by restaurants at 28 percent and stores at 12 percent.
Waste Rates by Country
An average of 132 kilograms of food is wasted per capita worldwide, with 79 kilograms of this being thrown away in homes.
The Maldives ranked first with approximately 260 kilograms of waste per capita annually, while Spain recorded the lowest levels with figures of 39 kilograms and below per capita.