Healthy diet too expensive for one in three people globally, UN report finds

Key Points:

• A new UN report reveals that 2.69 billion people, or one in three globally, cannot afford a healthy diet, posing a major challenge to achieving the zero hunger target by 2030.
• While global hunger declined slightly to 7.8% in 2025, the proportion of people unable to afford nutritious food remains extremely high, especially in Africa where 66.6% cannot afford a healthy diet.
• The cost of a healthy diet averages $4.28 PPP per day, significantly above the extreme poverty line of $3 PPP, highlighting that current government subsidies mainly support calorie-rich but nutrient-poor staples.
• Rising adult obesity rates, up from 12.1% in 2012 to 16.2% in 2024, underscore the urgent need for policies promoting dietary diversity, including increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy.
• The report calls for investments in infrastructure, research, and more efficient supply chains to reduce healthy food costs and mitigate the health and economic impacts of poor diets, especially in regions like Africa facing population growth and reduced development aid.