My take on the Global Hunger Index Ranking

My Take on the Global Hunger Index Ranking

Tathagata Anuradha Mukhopadhyay

Today, one of my learned friends reminded me of the Global Hunger Index ranking of India. 

 

India ranks 111 in the Global Hunger Index, on a scale where zero means no hunger. This, truly, is very sad. 

 

However, this contradicts the following THREE facts (All World Bank Figures):

 

1) Improvement in the undernourished population.

According to the World Bank, 21.9% of the Indian population was undernourished in 2013. This means that they did not have enough food to eat to meet their basic nutritional needs.

This figure has fallen since then to 16% in 2023. (World Bank

Data). 

 

2) Improved Poverty Index

The poverty index of India today is lower than it was in 2013, according to both the World Bank and the Indian government.

The World Bank uses a poverty line of $1.90 per day (2011 PPP)

to measure extreme poverty. In 2013, 12.4% of Indians lived below this poverty

line. By 2021, this had fallen to 10.2%.

The Indian government uses a different poverty line, which is

based on the cost of a basic basket of goods and services. In 2013, 21.9% of

Indians lived below the poverty line. By 2021, this had fallen to 14.96%.

These numbers have fallen further in 2023, but I shall not mention that since the sources are unconfirmed. 

 

3) India, today, is one of the fastest-growing economies. It is the fifth largest economy behind the USA, China, Japan and Germany. Please keep in mind that we are ahead of the UK, France, Spain, Italy and all other EU countries. The United States is the world's largest economy, with a GDP of over $26 trillion. China is the second-largest economy, with a GDP of over $19 trillion. Japan, Germany, and India are the third, fourth, and fifth-largest economies, respectively, with GDPs of over $4 trillion, $4 trillion, and $3.4 trillion.

 

Obviously, the GHI is one very clever way of data representation. This forced me to look into the methods of calculating the GHI. I found it somewhat akin to the Duckworth-Lewis method used in cricket – which no one understands yet is accepted by all.

 

From what I understood after some research, it is as follows:

 

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a peer-reviewed annual report published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. The GHI is designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels and to draw attention to where the problem is most severe and where progress is being made.

The GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale, with zero being the best score (no hunger) and 100 being the worst. The GHI score for each country is calculated based on four indicators:

• Undernourishment: the share of the population with insufficient caloric intake.
• Child stunting: the share of children under the age of five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.
• Child wasting: the share of children under the age of five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.
• Child mortality: the under-5 mortality rate.

 

The GHI score for each country is calculated using a weighted average of the four indicators. Undernourishment and child mortality each contribute one-third of the GHI score, while child stunting and child wasting each contribute one-sixth of the score.

What is the percentage of the population in India that is hungry today?

It is 15.2%. Lesser than many countries have a better GHI ranking. For example, the percentage of the undernourished population in Pakistan is 21.9, and in Bangladesh, it is 16.3, our two neighbouring nations. Yet, they have a better GHI ranking. Have a look at the table. (All data from the World Bank) 

 

Country	Undernourished Population	Global hunger index
India	15.2	111
Pakistan	21.9	102
Bangladesh	16.3	81

The GHI ranking, therefore, is just another way of confusing people. The bigger question is, are we better off today, despite the outbreak of COVID-19, as compared to 2013? The answer is yes.

Having said this, let me add that the Government of India must strive hard to improve the GHI ranking, however confusing it may be.

The Indian government has set a goal of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030. This is an ambitious goal, but it is achievable with continued economic growth and social development programs.

We are a nation of 140 million. So even if a small percentage of that remains hungry, the figure appears huge. Let us stand by the Government in its mission of eradicating hunger.