Brazil Sustains Improvement in Food Security, Remains Off UN Hunger Map Through 2025

Brazil has continued to show marked progress in food security, maintaining its status off the United Nations' Hunger Map for the second consecutive year, according to a UN report released in July 2026. The country achieved a historic low in severe food insecurity, with only 0.6% of its population affected in 2025, down from 6.6% between 2021 and 2023. Over the 2023 to 2025 period, approximately 16.7 million Brazilians improved their food security status, reflecting a substantial reduction in hunger and undernourishment risks.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlights that less than 2.5% of Brazil’s population is now at risk of undernourishment, the main criterion for inclusion on the UN’s Hunger Map. This sustained improvement marks a notable recovery since Brazil's reentry onto the map in 2020 after first exiting in 2014. The decrease in food insecurity comes amid a global context where 7.8% of the world's population faced hunger in 2025, a decline from prior years.

Despite these gains, challenges remain, with 21.1% of Brazilians unable to afford a healthy diet during 2023-2025. However, the cost of a nutritious daily diet has decreased to US$4.89 per person, lower than the South American regional average of US$4.94 and the Latin America and Caribbean average of US$4.91. This affordability coupled with macroeconomic factors such as GDP growth and controlled inflation, measured by the IPCA index, has supported Brazil’s improved food security outcomes.

The continuous decline in food insecurity underscores the effectiveness of public policies and coordinated efforts to enhance access to adequate nutrition across Brazil. As one of the most populous countries in Latin America, Brazil’s progress contributes significantly to regional and global hunger reduction goals.