Global Hunger Index 2023, you can check India’s rank in Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023. However, The index is released by European NGOs of Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. The GHI is calculated annually, and its results appear in a report issued in October each year. In today’s article, we are going to share the complete list of the Global Hunger Index 2023 (GHI).

Apart from that, you will also get to know details about GHI such as What is GHI? Procedure for calculating the GHI, etc. Moreover, we have mentioned India’s performance and measures taken by govt. to control hunger or malnutrition. So, all the readers continue reading this blog ahead and get complete information related to Global Hunger Index 2023.

About Global Hunger Index 2023

First of all, you should know what is the meaning of the Global Hunger Index (GHI) and what it tells us about. The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool that attempts to measure and track hunger globally as well as by region and by country. Basically, it aims to track hunger at the world, regional, and country levels. Therefore, it measures countries’ performance on four component indicators: undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting, and child mortality. And the 2023 Global Hunger Index shows a very bad and dramatic hunger situation worldwide.

If we talk about India’s ranking on Global Hunger Index, it is 107 slipped from the 2021 index of 101 out of 121 countries. So, it is worse and shows a very bad performance than all other countries in South Asia. However, the main reason for this worse performance of India and other countries is because of the impact of the Covid pandemic. As you all know, the climate crisis and the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have affected many poor people badly.

Many daily wage earners have lost their jobs during the pandemic and they are left with nothing. Even though now things are getting normal but still people have no jobs and they are facing economic crises. Also, the Russia and Ukraine war has affected the economy of every country in the world. And the prices for every commodity are very high and you can see inflation everywhere. Moreover, the UN (United Nation) has also declared the global crises in the world. The situation is expected to continue to worsen in the face of overlapping global crises. Without fundamental changes, the goal of Zero Hunger by 2030 will not be achieved.

Global Hunger Index 2023 – Overview

Check India’s Rank In the Global Hunger Index 2023 List

India ranks 107th out of 121 countries in the GHI 2023 rankings. With a score of 29.1, India has a level of hunger that is serious. Below we have mentioned the list of global hunger index for 2023;

Procedure For Calculating Global Hunger Index Score

GHI ranks countries on a 100-point scale, with 0 representing zero/no hunger. The GHI scores are based on four indicators. Taken together, the component indicators reflect deficiencies in calories as well as micronutrients. Thus, the GHI reflects both aspects of hunger (undernutrition and malnutrition).

• CHILD STUNTING – the share of children under the age of five who have low height for their age.
• UNDERNOURISHMENT – the share of the population whose caloric intake is insufficient.
• CHILD WASTING – the share of children under the age of five who have low weight for their height.
• CHILD MORTALITY – the mortality rate of children under the age of five (a reflection of the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments).

How India Performed in the Global Hunger Index 2023?

1. Above we have already told you that India has slipped 6 positions from its 2021 rank of 101 to 107.
2. Moreover, this year India has the highest child-wasting rate of all countries covered in the GHI.
3. Most importantly, India is ranked behind most of its neighboring countries – Pakistan ranks at 99, Sri Lanka ranks at 64, Nepal ranks at 81, and Bangladesh ranks at 84.
4. However, Afghanistan is the only country in south Asia that ranks below India at 109th rank.
5. India’s performance in undernourishment has also risen in the country from 14.6% in 2018-2020 to 16.3% in 2019-2021.
6. Also, India’s performance in child wasting India’s child wasting rate (low weight for height), at 19.3%, is worse than the levels recorded in 2014 (15.1%) and even in 2000 (17.15%).
7. Although, India has seen improvement in child stunting and child mortality between 2014 and 2023.
8. As child stunting has declined from 38.7% to 35.5% and child mortality has also dropped from 4.6% to 3.3%.
9. But India really needs to improve a lot in many areas in order to improve the Global Hunger Index Rank.

Important Measures Taken By the Government of India

Apparently, the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development issued a criticism of the latest GHI ranking (2023) in which India’s rank was lowered to 107, saying that, ‘consistent effort is yet again visible to taint India’s image as a Nation that does not fulfill the food security and nutritional requirements of its population. Moreover, the government said that the index is not the correct measure of hunger and suffers from serious methodological issues.

The report is not only disconnected from ground reality but also chooses to deliberately ignore efforts made by the Government to ensure food Security for the population, especially during the Covid Pandemic. So, these are the words said by the government of India in response to the latest Global Hunger Index 2023. But the government is taking many steps and measures in order to tackle the hunger or malnutrition problem in India.

Below, we have mentioned the important measures taken by the government of India to improve the GHI of the country;

• Eat Right India movement by the Food Safety and Security Authority of India (FSSAI).
• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana – a flagship maternity benefits program of the Government of India.
• Cash benefits are provided to pregnant women in their bank account directly to meet enhanced nutritional needs and partially compensate for wage loss.
• National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 – the Act covers almost two-thirds of the population in order to provide them with heavily subsidized food grains.
• The National Food Security Act of 2013 (NFSA) is being implemented throughout all of India’s States and UTs.
• PM Poshan Abhiyaan – To provide free cooked meals to poor students in Government-aided Schools.

Read more:

• World Competitiveness Index
• 5th State Food Safety Index
• Global Gender Gap Report, India spots to 127