Europe and Central Asia Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2024

FAO
Apr 04, 2025

Europe and Central Asia Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2024


This report provides the latest updates on hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in Europe and Central Asia, including the cost and affordability of healthy diets. It also explores the central theme of water security, highlighting its critical connections to agriculture, food security and nutrition.While the region has made progress in reducing hunger and food insecurity (SDG Target 2.1), challenges remain in eliminating all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2). Food insecurity and malnutrition persist in some countries, influenced by income levels, socioeconomic factors and climate risks. In 2023, global undernourishment remained at 9.1 percent, whereas the region has stayed below 2.5 percent since 2005, except in Central Asia (3 percent in 2023 and marginally higher in 2022). Food insecurity affected 11.5 percent of the population in 2023, well below the global average (28.9 percent).Many countries have reduced child stunting, wasting and low birthweight, but childhood overweight, anaemia in women aged 15–49, and adult obesity remain concerns. In 2022, 64.3 million people in the region couldn’t afford a healthy diet, though numbers have declined after the pandemic.