The USDA projects global food insecurity will decline over the next decade, although hundreds of millions of people will continue to struggle to access enough food.
USDA’s Economic Research Service estimates 884.4 million people, or 19.5 percent of the population across 83 low- and middle-income countries, will face food insecurity in 2026.
The agency expects food insecurity rates to decline in most countries this year compared with 2025, partly due to rising per capita incomes and easing food price inflation. However, local disruptions and deeper economic vulnerabilities could worsen conditions in some areas, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Looking ahead, USDA projects the number of food-insecure people in the countries studied will fall 33.4 percent by 2036, reaching about 589 million people, or 11.4 percent of the population. The agency’s Global Food Assessment also identifies countries where domestic production cannot meet food demand, highlighting potential opportunities for U.S. agricultural exports.
