The global burden of chronic and hidden hunger: Trends and determinants

Eradicating hunger in all its forms, including chronic and hidden hunger, requires good understanding of the problem's magnitude, trends, and determinants. Existing studies measure “hunger” through proxies that all have shortcomings. We use a more comprehensive metric, Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), to quantify the burden of hunger and show related trends. While the burden of chronic hunger more than halved since 1990, it remains larger than the burden of hidden hunger. Cross-country regressions show that economic growth was a major determinant of reducing the hunger burden. However, growth and other country-level determinants have larger effects on the burden of chronic hunger than on the burden of hidden hunger. Complementary micro-level interventions are required to end hunger in all its forms.