Global Hunger Index

The Global Hunger Index Report

Created in 2006, the Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool that measures and tracks hunger at global, regional, and national levels. It is designed to raise awareness and understanding of the fight against hunger, and call attention to those areas of the world where hunger levels are highest and where the need for additional efforts to eliminate hunger is greatest.

The GHI is calculated annually, and its results appear in a report issued in October each year. The report is published jointly by Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide.

Calculation of GHI Scores

The GHI determines hunger on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best possible score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst. Each country’s GHI score is classified by severity, from low to extremely alarming.

The severity of hunger associated with the range of possible GHI scores is as follows:

• » Low ≤ 9.9
• » Moderate 10.0-19.9
• » Serious 20.0-34.9
• » Alarming 35.0-49.9
• » Extremely alarming ≥ 50.0

GHI scores are based on the values of four component indicators:

1. Undernourishment: Share of the population with insufficient caloric intake.
2. Child Wasting: Share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.
3. Child Stunting: Share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.
4. Child Mortality: The mortality rate of children under the age of five.

Data for the indicators come from data collection efforts by various UN and other multilateral agencies.
– Undernourishment data are provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
– Child mortality data are sourced from the United Nations Interagency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME).
– Child wasting and child stunting data are drawn from the joint database of UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank.