Between 2016 and 2022, there were no deaths reported due to lack of food and water in India. However, in 2012, there were 217 deaths due to this reason, making it the highest fatality number since 2010.

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger globally, regionally, and by country. Each year, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) calculates GHI scores in order to assess progress, or the lack thereof, in decreasing hunger. The GHI is designed to raise awareness and understanding of regional and country differences in the struggle against hunger. This year, GHI scores have been calculated using a revised and improved formula. The revision replaces child underweight, previously the sole indicator of child undernutrition, with two indicators of child undernutrition—child wasting and child stunting—which are equally weighted in the GHI calculation. The revised formula also standardizes each of the component indicators to balance their contribution to the overall index and to changes in the GHI scores over time. The 2015 GHI has been calculated for 117 countries for which data on the four component indicators are available and where measuring hunger is considered most relevant. GHI scores are not calculated for some higher income countries where the prevalence of hunger is very low. The GHI is only as current as the data for its four component indicators. This year's GHI reflects the most recent available country-level data and projections available between 2010 and 2016. It therefore reflects the hunger levels during this period rather than solely capturing conditions in 2015. The 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2015 GHI scores reflect the latest revised data for the four component indicators of the GHI. Where original source data were not available, the estimates of the GHI component indicators were based on the most recent data available. The four component indicators used to calculate the GHI scores draw upon data from the following sources: 1. Undernourishment: Updated data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) were used for the 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2015 GHI scores. Undernourishment data and projections for the 2015 GHI are for 2014-2016. 2. Child wasting and stunting: The child undernutrition indicators of the GHI—child wasting and child stunting—include data from the joint database of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank, and additional data from WHO's continuously updated Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition; the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) reports; statistical tables from UNICEF; and the latest national survey data for India from UNICEF India. For the 2015 GHI, data on child wasting and child stunting are for the latest year for which data are available in the period 2010-2014. 3. Child mortality: Updated data from the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation were used for the 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005, and 2015 GHI scores. For the 2015 GHI, data on child mortality are for 2013. Resources related to 2015 Global Hunger Index 2015 Global Hunger Index Web App Snapshots of Hunger in the Developing World 2015 Global Hunger Index Linked Open Data (LOD) 2015 Global Hunger Index Report

According to the Global Hunger Index 2024, which was adopted by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Somalia was the most affected by hunger and malnutrition, with an index of 44.1. Yemen and Chad followed behind. The World Hunger Index combines three indicators: undernourishment, child underweight, and child mortality. Sub-Saharan Africa most affected The index is dominated by countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the region, more than one fifth of the population is undernourished . In terms of individuals, however, South Asia has the highest number of undernourished people. Globally, there are 735 million people that are considered undernourished or starving. A lack of food is increasing in over 20 countries worldwide. Undernourishment worldwide The term malnutrition includes both undernutrition and overnutrition. Undernutrition occurs when an individual cannot maintain normal bodily functions such as growth, recovering from disease, and both learning and physical work. Some conditions such as diarrhea, malaria, and HIV/AIDS can all have a negative impact on undernutrition. Rural and agricultural communities can be especially susceptible to hunger during certain seasons. The annual hunger gap occurs when a family’s food supply may run out before the next season’s harvest is available and can result in malnutrition. Nevertheless, the prevalence of people worldwide that are undernourished has decreased over the last decades, from 18.7 percent in 1990-92 to 9.2 percent in 2022, but it has slightly increased since the outbreak of COVID-19. According to the Global Hunger Index, the reduction of global hunger has stagnated over the past decade.

According to the Global Hunger Index, India had an index value of 28.7 in 2023. The composition of the index was a combination of different indicators such as undernourishment, child underweight, and child mortality. India's score indicates a serious level of hunger crisis, placing the country at a position of 111th out of 121 countries that year. However, the country had improved the situation from 35 index points falling in the category of alarming level in 2000.

India hunger statistics for 2021 was 16.60%, a 0.7% increase from 2020.

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<li>India hunger statistics for 2020 was <strong>15.90%</strong>, a <strong>1.5% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>India hunger statistics for 2019 was <strong>14.40%</strong>, a <strong>1.3% increase</strong> from 2018.</li>
<li>India hunger statistics for 2018 was <strong>13.10%</strong>, a <strong>0.2% increase</strong> from 2017.</li>
</ul>Population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption (also referred to as prevalence of undernourishment) shows the percentage of the population whose food intake is insufficient to meet dietary energy requirements continuously. Data showing as 5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 5%.

In 2023, the rate of undernourishment worldwide was 9.1 percent. The region with the largest share of undernourished people was Sub-Saharan Africa, with 23.2 percent. Undernourished people worldwideSouthern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa have some of the highest numbers of undernourished people in the world, totaling 281 million and 278 million, respectively in 2023. Based on the World Hunger Index 2024, Somalia and Yemen were among the most affected countries by hunger and malnutrition. Worldwide, about 733.4 million people were suffering from malnutrition in 2023. MalnutritionMalnourishment occurs when a person’s diet consists of too little or too much of certain nutrients. Undernutrition occurs when a person does not intake enough calories, protein, or micronutrients. One of the primary causes of malnutrition is due to limited or lack of accessibility to affordable nutritious foods. Malnutrition is considered to contribute to over a third of child deaths globally. In Asia, an estimated 77 million cases of stunting, which is the primary effect of malnutrition, were recorded for children under the age of five in 2022. The FAO reports that food security and nutrition commitments by national governments are essential in eradicating the world hunger problem. Agricultural productivity, accessibility to land, services, and markets, rural development strategies, and social protection are needed to ensure a reduction in malnutrition.