Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2023
December 16 , 2023 344 days 510 0
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations launched the Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2023: Statistics and Trends.
74.1% of Indians were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2021.
In 2020, the percentage was 76.2.
In Pakistan, the figure is 82.2% and in Bangladesh, 66.1% of the population faced difficulties in finding healthy food.
Rising food costs, if not matched by rising income, will lead to more people unable to afford a healthy diet.
The report said 16.6% of the country’s population is undernourished.
31.7% of children of the country under five years of age suffered with stunted growth.
For wasting (low weight for height), India recorded the highest rate in the region with 18.7% children under five years of age facing this major health problem.
The report noted that 2.8% of the children below five years were overweight.
53% of the country’s women aged between 15 to 49 had anaemia, which was the largest prevalence rate in the region in 2019.
On exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0–5 months of age, India has improved the prevalence with a percentage of 63.7%.
This is higher than the world prevalence – 47.7%.
India has the highest prevalence of low birthweight in the region (27.4%), followed by Bangladesh and Nepal.