A recent United Nations report reveals that approximately 79.4 million Ethiopians, representing over 60% of the population, experienced moderate to severe food insecurity between 2023 and 2025. The findings underscore a deepening hunger crisis across the country despite ongoing efforts to improve food availability.
The 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, compiled by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO, highlights that the real situation may be graver as data from the Tigray region was not included due to access challenges. The region continues to face displacement and humanitarian shortages, factors that likely exacerbate food scarcity.
Food Affordability Challenges
The report also stresses the growing difficulty Ethiopians face in affording nutritious diets. Around 92 million people, nearly 68% of the population, could not afford a healthy diet in 2025. This trend contrasts with global improvements in diet affordability.
Nutrition experts point to the high cost of healthy foods as a critical barrier. The average daily expense for a nutritious diet in Ethiopia is estimated at 4.75 purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars, outpacing neighboring countries such as Kenya (4.50 PPP), Uganda (3.74 PPP), and Tanzania (3.53 PPP).
Implications and Outlook
- Food insecurity has risen sharply from 58.4 million affected individuals in 2014-2016 to 79.4 million in recent years, excluding Tigray.
- The exclusion of Tigray data suggests the national figures may underestimate the true scale of hunger.
- High food prices and limited incomes continue to strain Ethiopian households' ability to maintain balanced diets.
- Without targeted interventions to improve food access, affordability, and support for displaced populations, the nutrition crisis is expected to persist.
This comprehensive UN assessment highlights the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address Ethiopia's food and nutrition challenges amid ongoing conflict and economic pressures.
