Global Hunger Index 2022: What is India's rank?

Even though enough food is produced worldwide to feed everyone, up to 828 million people still go without food. World hunger is increasing, affecting approximately 10% of people worldwide, after consistently dropping for a decade. Sources from the Union Health Ministry claimed on Tuesday that the Global Hunger Index exaggerates the severity of hunger, lacks statistical rigour, and has numerous flaws resulting from India placing 107th out of 121 countries in this year's rankings. They claimed that the study "deliberately ignores the huge efforts undertaken by the government to maintain food security for the populace, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic" and that it "does not genuinely quantify hunger." According to sources, three of the four indicators we utilised were connected to children's health and could not be generalised to the entire population. 

Let's discuss the global hunger index ranking, what are the top 5 hungriest countries and India's performance in detail.

What is Global Hunger Index?

A technique for fully measuring and monitoring hunger at the international, regional, and national levels is the Global Hunger Index (GHI). Based on the values of four component indicators, GHI scores are calculated:

Global Hunger Index GHI scores range from 0-100, with zero reflecting no hunger. Four indicators form the basis of the GHI scores. When combined, the component signs show calorie and micronutrient deficits. As a result, the GHI captures both facets of hunger (undernutrition and malnutrition).

1. UNDERNOURISHMENT: a group of the population whose caloric intake is insufficient.

2. CHILD STUNTING: a group of children under five years of age who have low height for their age.

3. CHILD WASTING: a group of children under five years of age who have low weight for their height.

4. CHILD MORTALITY: the mortality rate of children under five years of age (a reflection of the fatal blend of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments).

Annually, Concern Worldwide of Ireland and Welthungerhilfe publish the "Global Hunger Index Report" under peer review (a German non-profit organisation).

• Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private assistance organisations in Germany and is impartial to politics and religion.
• Concern Worldwide is an international humanitarian organisation addressing poverty and suffering in the world's poorest nations.

Global Hunger Index 2022

Why is Global Hunger index in News?

The Ministry claims that the study intentionally ignores the Central government's efforts to ensure food security, particularly during the pandemic, and is divorced from actual events. In addition to their monthly quota of foodgrains as required by the National Food Security Act, the Union Cabinet provided an additional five kg of ration per person each month through the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojna (PM-GKAY). Recently, it was extended to December 2022. Dipa Sinha, an economics professor at Ambedkar University, claims that while the programmes did help to alleviate the situation, they weren't sufficient.

Global hunger index 2022 India rank

India has performed worse than every nation in South Asia, except war-torn Afghanistan, according to the Global Hunger Index 2022. It ranked 107/121 nations. India came in at 101 on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 list of 116 nations.

What is each country's GHI 2022 performance?

World Progress Globally

• The fight against hunger has mostly stalled in recent years; in 2022, the score was 18.2, down from 19.1 in 2014, representing a slight improvement. The 2022 GHI score is still regarded as "moderate," nonetheless.
• Converging crises like international hostilities, climate change, the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine war, which has raised food, fuel, and fertiliser prices globally and is predicted to "worsen hunger in 2023 and beyond," are the likely causes of the stagnation in this progress.
• According to the index, there is "severe" or "alarming" hunger in 44 nations, and "without a substantial shift, neither the globe as a whole nor about 46 nations are forecast to attain even low hunger as defined by the GHI by 2030."

Which country is highest in global hunger index 2022?

Here's the global hunger index list:

• According to GHI 2022, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, China, and Croatia are the top five nations.
• The nations at the bottom of the ranking are Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, the Central African Republic, and Yemen.

India and Neighboring Countries:

• India (107) is rated last among the South Asian nations, trailing Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (81), Bangladesh (84), and Pakistan (99).
• India receives a score of 29.1, putting it in the "severe" category.
• Afghanistan is the only nation in South Asia to score lower than India on the rating (109).
• China, together with 16 other nations, took first place on the chart with a score of less than 5.

Performance of India in this Indicators:

• Child Wasting: With a rate of 19.3%, India has the worst child wasting (low weight for height) than either 2014 (15.1%) or even 2000 (17.15%). It is the highest of any nation globally and raises the average for the area because of India's massive population.
• Undernourishment: The prevalence of undernutrition increased in the nation from 14.6% from 2018 to 2020 to 16.3% from 2019 to 2021. It suggests that out of the 828 million individuals worldwide, 224.3 million are undernourished. The indicator tracks the percentage of the population who experience chronic dietary energy intake deficiencies.
• Reducing Child Mortality and Stunting: India has succeeded in this area. Between 2014 and 2022, child stunting (low height for age) decreased from 38.7% to 35.5%. In the same period, child mortality (mortality rate for children under five years of age) decreased from 4.6% to 3.3%.

Conclusion

India's economy has grown significantly in recent years and is still one of the fastest-growing in the world. Despite significant advancements, there is still a concern about hunger and malnutrition. Although the situation regarding food security is gradually getting better, the vulnerable population still struggles to get access to a balanced diet. Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2022 places India 107th out of 121 nations, a drop of 6. The Indian government has responded by voicing methodological reservations.