One third of the world’s population cannot afford healthy food

The cost of a healthy diet has risen by 25% over the past five years, putting it out of reach of a third of the world’s population, according to figures published by the United Nations.

The “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026” report, issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), showed that the continued rise in food prices has raised the average cost of a healthy diet to $4.28 per person per day.

The organization’s chief economist, Máximo Torero Collin, said during a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York that 2.69 billion people, equivalent to approximately one in three people in the world, are still unable to afford a healthy diet.

The report explained that the cost of a healthy diet is not evenly distributed among its components, as basic foods, such as legumes and grains, represent about 13% of the total cost, while animal products constitute approximately 30%, and fruits and vegetables 16%.

Torero said that the challenge does not lie in producing sufficient quantities of calories, but rather in making nutrient-rich foods more affordable, adding that enhancing local food production would significantly reduce the costs associated with a healthy diet.