Around 295 million people are now facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with the most people experiencing the most severe forms of acute food insecurity and famine living in countries affected by conflicts, according to the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises published by The world Bank.
Domestic food price inflation remains moderately high. Information from the latest month between January and April 2025 for which food price inflation data are available shows high inflation in many low- and middle-income countries, with inflation higher than 5% in 87.5% of low-income countries.
In Yemen, food insecurity was greater in March 2025 than it had been one year earlier, with severe food deprivation increasing from 21 to 33 percent, with slightly higher levels for internally displaced persons. Key drivers include economic decline, humanitarian aid gaps, limited livelihood opportunities, and drought-like conditions threatening farming and livestock. The price of the minimum food basket in areas that the internationally recognized government controls has reached record highs each month since January 2024; in March 2025, it was 28 percent higher than in March 2024.
In real terms, food price inflation exceeded overall inflation in 61% of the 157 countries where data is available.
A new report titled Strengthening Strategic Grain Reserves to Enhance Food Security, jointly published by the World Bank, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), offers lessons learned from the management of strategic grain reserves—government-managed stockpiles of staple grains, providing guiding principles for policymakers and development practitioners.