Scientists have predicted the number of hungry people in the world in 2026

The number of starving people in the world in 2026 may reach 660 million people if the current negative trends continue, according to a report by the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).

According to BAKU.WS with reference to RIA Novosti, in 2025 the number of people suffering from hunger amounted to 673.2 million people, which is equivalent to 8.2% of the planet's population. Despite the fact that the figure has been decreasing for the fourth year in a row after peak values, it still significantly exceeds the level recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The peak of world hunger occurred in 2021, when malnutrition affected 697.5 million people, or 8.8% of the Earth's population. For comparison, in the pre-COVID 2019, the number of starving people was 584.1 million people (7.5%). Experts note that the ongoing tension is associated with the combined impact of the pandemic's consequences, climate changes, and geopolitical instability.