Global Hunger Index – UPSC

In this article, I wanna walk you through Global Hunger Index for UPSC IAS.

Global Hunger Index

• The Global Hunger Index aims to track hunger at the world, regional, and country-level. It is an annual report (peer-reviewed) published by Concern Worldwide of Ireland and Welthungerhilfe (a German non-profit organization). 
• It was first produced in 2006.
• High-income countries are not included in the GHI.
• Calculation: The GHI scores are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger. It is calculated on the basis of four indicators:
  • Undernourishment: Share of the population with insufficient caloric intake.
  • Child Wasting: Share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.
  • Child Stunting: Share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.
  • Child Mortality: The mortality rate of children under the age of five.
• Scoring:
  • Based on the values of the four indicators, the GHI determines hunger on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best possible score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.
  • Each country’s GHI score is classified by severity, from low to extremely alarming.

• GHI Severity Scale
  • Countries where hunger is low (GHI ≤9.9)  
  • Countries where hunger is moderate (GHI = 10.0–19.9)  
  • Countries where hunger is serious (GHI = 20.0–34.9)  
  • Countries where hunger is alarming (GHI = 35.0–49.9)  
  • Countries where hunger is extremely alarming (GHI ≥50.0)

Global Hunger Index – India’s Rank

India has been ranked at 94 among 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020.

India’s Performance in GHI 2020

• Overall Performance:
  • With a score of 27.2, India has a level of hunger that is “serious”.
  • It ranks 94 out of 107 countries in the Index. In 2019, India’s rank was 102 out of 117 countries.
• Comparison with Other Countries:
  • India features behind Nepal (73), Pakistan (88), Bangladesh (75), Indonesia (70) among others.
  • Out of the total 107 countries, only 13 countries fare worse than India including countries like Rwanda (97), Nigeria (98), Afghanistan (99), Liberia (102), Mozambique (103), Chad (107) among others.
• Performance on the Indicators:
  • Undernourishment: 14% of India’s population is undernourished (2017-19). It was 16.3% during 2011-13.
  • Child Wasting: 17.3% (2015-19), it was 15.1% in 2010-14.
  • Child Stunting: 34.7%, it has improved significantly, from 54% in 2000 to less than 35% now.
  • Child Mortality: 3.7%, it was 5.2% in 2012.