According to the recently published 2021 Global Hunger Index (an index that evaluates hunger levels and malnutrition globally), India stands at 101 position out of 116 countries. Last year India ranked 94 and was behind Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. As per the reports, Pakistan was placed at 92 position while Nepal and Bangladesh was ranked at 76 position.
The reports collected data from 135 countries but only 116 were calculated as the remaining 19 countries did not have enough required data. The Global Hunger Index scores are calculated based on four indicators like undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting and child mortality. The above mentioned indicators show the number of children under the age five with low weight and low height for their age along with the mortality rate.
The Global Hunger Index score of India is 27.5, earlier it was 27.2 when 107 countries were listed. However India comes under the “serious category” along with 30 other countries, including Pakistan. Nepal and Bhutan fall under the “moderate category” while others are placed under “low” “moderate” “alarming” and “extremely alarming” categories respectively.
The countries under the “alarming” category are Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Yemen. While Somalia was placed in the “extremely alarming”, the sources stated.
It added, around eighteen countries including Brazil, Belarus, China, Chile and Croatia were at the top in the Index.
India’s worst performance in indicator measuring child wasting (17.3%) was seen reflecting acute undernutrition.
The major forces driving hunger across the world are conflicts, climatic changes, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
World’s commitment towards achieving zero hunger seems to be tragically distant. Current projections based on the Global Hunger Index indicate that the whole world- and particularly 47 countries- will fail to achieve even low hunger by 2030,” the reports stated.
