A Global Reality Check on Nutrition
The latest 'State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2026' report, a collaboration between five UN agencies, presents a stark picture: while global hunger has slowly declined for the third consecutive year, the affordability of a truly
healthy diet remains a massive challenge. The report reveals that a staggering 2.69 billion people worldwide could not afford a healthy diet in 2025. This means nearly one in three people globally lack the financial means to purchase a variety of foods necessary for their health and well-being, even if they consume enough calories to stave off hunger. The global average cost of a healthy diet was calculated at $4.28 per person per day (in purchasing power parity terms), a figure significantly higher than the global extreme poverty line.
Beyond Calories: The Focus on Food Groups
For decades, food security policies often focused on subsidising staple crops like rice and wheat. This approach, while crucial for fighting hunger, has proven insufficient for tackling malnutrition. The UN report makes a critical distinction: providing calories is cheap, but providing nutrients is not. It highlights that while starchy staples provide a large portion of our energy needs, they are a relatively small part of a healthy diet's cost. The real financial burden comes from nutrient-dense foods. Fruits, vegetables, dairy, and animal-source proteins are essential for health but are significantly more expensive, making them the first to be dropped when budgets are tight. This new focus urges a policy shift towards making these diverse food groups—not just basic grains—a practical and affordable choice for everyone.
The Indian Context: A Double Burden
For India, these global findings are deeply resonant. The report notes that as of 2025, about 35.5% of the population, or over 520 million people, could not afford a healthy diet. This is despite India driving much of the progress in reducing the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet in lower-middle-income countries. The nation faces what experts call a 'triple burden' of malnutrition: the simultaneous existence of undernutrition (stunting and wasting), micronutrient deficiencies ('hidden hunger'), and rising obesity. The Indian plate is often heavily skewed towards cereals, with a critical lack of pulses, fruits, and vegetables. Factors like high costs, limited access in some areas, and entrenched dietary habits contribute to this low dietary diversity, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
Pinpointing the Cost on the Ground
The data for India shows how costs have escalated. In 2025, affording a nutritionally adequate diet in India cost the equivalent of $4.11 per person per day. Worryingly, the cost of a healthy diet in the country has risen faster since 2017 than in developed nations like the United States. While India has made significant strides, reducing the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet from 74.1% in 2021 to a more precise estimate of 40.4% in 2025, the number remains critically high. This affordability gap directly contributes to widespread health issues, from anaemia in women to stunting in children, underscoring the urgency of the problem.
The Path to an Affordable, Healthy Plate
The UN report is not just a diagnosis but a call to action. It recommends a multi-pronged approach to make nutritious food more accessible. This includes repurposing agricultural policies and subsidies to move beyond a cereal-dominated system and encourage the production of fruits, vegetables, and pulses. Improving infrastructure and creating more efficient supply chains can help reduce the structural costs that drive up prices for consumers. Additionally, strengthening social protection schemes like the Public Distribution System (PDS) and school feeding programmes can be tailored to improve nutritional diversity, not just calorie intake. Experts stress the need for better local data and coordination between agriculture, health, and trade policies to create a system where a healthy diet is the easy and affordable choice for all families.
