India ranks 94 out of 107 countries in the 2020 Global Hunger Index, according to the report released on Friday. According to the report, with a score of 27.2, India has a “severe” level of hunger. India’s ranking was 102 out of 117 countries last year.
In the index, India is behind Nepal (73), Pakistan (88), Bangladesh (75), Indonesia (70), among others. Out of a total of 107 countries, only 13 countries are worse off than India, including countries like Rwanda (97), Nigeria (98), Afghanistan (99), Liberia (102), Mozambique (103), Chad (107), among others.
According to the report, 14% of the Indian population is undernourished. It also reports that the country has recorded a child stunting rate of 37.4%. Stunted children are those who are “low stature for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition”.
The Global Hunger Index is an annual peer-reviewed report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels.
“Data from 1991 to 2014 for Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan showed that stunting is concentrated among children in households facing multiple forms of deprivation, including low dietary diversity, low maternal education levels, and household poverty, ”the GHI report states.
“In many countries, the situation is improving too slowly, while in others it is getting worse. For 46 countries in the moderate, severe, or alarming categories, GHI scores have improved since 2012, but for 14 countries in these categories, the GHI scores show that hunger and undernutrition have worsened. The latest GHI projections show that 37 countries will fail to achieve even low hunger levels by 2030, ”the report said.
According to the report, 14% of the Indian population is undernourished.
According to its website, GHI scores are calculated annually to assess progress and setbacks in the fight against hunger. It is calculated on the basis of four indicators – undernourishment, wasting of children, the share of children under five who are wasted (i.e. who are underweight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition); stunted growth in children, children under five who are low stature for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition; and infant mortality, the mortality rate of children under five.
In 2018, India ranked 103rd out of 119 countries on the Global Hunger Index. (Agencies)