ASIATODAY.ID, NEW YORK – The Asia-Pacific region has recorded a major breakthrough in reducing hunger, but a new United Nations report warns that malnutrition, soaring food prices, and unequal access to healthy diets continue to threaten long-term food security across the region.
According to the UN report released on December 17, 2025, the prevalence of undernourishment in Asia and the Pacific fell to 6.4 per cent in 2024, down from 7 per cent in 2023. This progress translates into approximately 25 million people escaping hunger in just one year.
Despite the gains, the region still accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the world’s hungry population, with South Asia alone representing almost 80 per cent of people at high risk of food insecurity.
Uneven Progress Leaves Children Most Vulnerable
The report highlights child malnutrition as a persistent structural challenge. In 2024, 24.4 per cent of children under the age of five in Asia-Pacific were stunted, with South Asia recording the highest prevalence.
At the same time, adult obesity continues to rise, particularly in Oceania, including Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Island nations—underscoring the region’s double burden of malnutrition.
Healthy Food Is Still Out of Reach for Millions
One of the most pressing barriers to sustained progress is the high cost of nutritious food. The UN estimates that the average cost of a healthy diet in Asia-Pacific reached US$4.77 per person per day (PPP) in 2024—higher than the global average.
As a result, millions of low-income households remain locked into cheap, calorie-dense but nutrient-poor diets, increasing the risk of stunting, non-communicable diseases, and intergenerational poverty.
“Without strong, coordinated, multi-sectoral policies, these gains could prove temporary,” the report cautioned.
UN Calls for Systemic Food Policy Reforms
To safeguard progress, the UN urges Asia-Pacific governments to:
Strengthen multi-sectoral policies linking food, health, and social protection
Reduce the cost of healthy diets through food system reforms
Prioritise maternal and child nutrition as a long-term investment
Address regional and rural inequalities, particularly in South Asia
Asia-Pacific at a Critical Crossroads
The sharp decline in hunger demonstrates that targeted policy interventions can deliver rapid results. However, without structural reforms, the region risks stalling—or reversing—progress amid climate shocks, food inflation, and mounting global economic pressures.
Asia-Pacific may be moving forward, but it is far from out of danger. (AT Network)
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