Global Hunger Index (GHI) is designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger score globally and by country and region. Since 2006, GHI calculated each year by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), highlights successes and failures in hunger reduction and provides insights into the drivers of hunger. GHI is released by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

GHI score is calculated based on three dimensions and four indicator parameters therein. The three dimensions followed by four indicators are:

  1. Inadequate food supply:

    1. Undernourished population - The share of the population whose caloric intake is insufficient,
  2. Child undernutrition:

    1. Child wasting - The share of children under the age of five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute under nutrition,
    2. Child stunting - the share of children under the age of five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic under nutrition, and
  3. Child mortality:

    1. Infant mortality rate - the mortality rate of children under the age of five is a reflection of the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments.

GHI ranks countries on a 0-100 point scale, wherein 0 indicates no hunger and 100 stands for worst position of hunger. The GHI severity scale applied to 119 countries in the GHI 2017 report shows varied result.

GHI Severity Scale
0 - 9.9 Low
10.0 – 19.9 Moderate
20.0 – 37.9 Serious
35.0 – 49.9 Alarming
50 ≤ Extremely Alarming

GHI 2017 shows that India has serious hunger problem, as the country has slipped 3 ranks from 97th position in 2016 to 100th position in 2017 among 119 countries listed in the report. Moreover, GHI 2017 also reports that three-quarters of South Asia's population resides in India, therefore, the situation in this country strongly influences South Asia's regional score. At 31.4, India's 2017 GHI score is at the high end of the serious category. According to the 2015–2016 survey data, more than a fifth (21 percent) of children in India suffer from wasting. Further, India's child wasting rate has not improved substantially over the past 25 years. But country has made progress in child stunting rate from its GHI 1992 score.

India ranks behind its neighbor countries except Pakistan and Afghanistan. It has third highest global hunger score in whole Asia. The South Asian countries' GHI index score over the years including GHI 2017 rank details are:

Rank (2017) Country 1992 2000 2008 2017
29 China 25.9 15.8 11.2 7.5
72 Nepal 42.5 36.8 28.9 22.0
77 Myanmar 55.6 43.6 30.1 22.6
84 Sri Lanka 31.6 26.8 24.2 25.5
88 Bangladesh 53.6 37.6 32.2 26.5
100 India 46.2 38.2 35.6 31.4
106 Pakistan 42.7 38.2 34.7 32.6
107 Afghanistan 50.7 52.7 37.9 33.3
- Bhutan* - - - -

* Ranks detail could not be included because of unavailability of data from the country

The two major National programs that addresses nutrition and primary healthcare in India - Integrated Child Development Service and National Health Mission have not achieved their adequate milestones. The GHI 2017 also reports the extremely alarming position of Central African Republic, which has the highest GHI score followed by Chad, Sierra Leone, Madagascar and Zambia.

Apart from these, there are fourteen countries, including China, Peru, Brazil, Panama and Azerbaijan that have made significant improvements since 2000.

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