A staggering 1.12 billion children—nearly half of the world’s child population—cannot afford a balanced diet, according to a new analysis by Save the Children. The alarming findings were released ahead of the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) summit in Paris, where global leaders will gather to address the worsening food crisis.
The aid agency warns that soaring food prices and the rising cost of living have left millions of families struggling to provide their children with adequate nutrition. The study, covering 167 countries, highlights that low- and lower-middle-income nations are the hardest hit, with 68% of children in these countries unable to afford a healthy diet.
“The situation faced by nearly half of the world’s children is alarming and reflects a global food crisis that we cannot ignore,” said Mayra Alejandra Obregon Ocoro, a youth coordinator from Colombia attending the summit. “Poverty and rising food prices have led families to prioritize quantity over quality, resulting in diets high in carbohydrates but lacking essential nutrients.”
The report underscores that the high cost of nutritious food remains a major barrier. Families with limited income tend to focus on filling their children’s stomachs rather than ensuring a balanced diet, leading to malnutrition and long-term developmental risks.
Sohanur Rahman, a youth coordinator from Bangladesh, noted that economic inequality and climate disasters such as floods are worsening food insecurity in his country. “At the N4G summit in Paris, leaders must commit to transformative policies that make nutritious food affordable and accessible,” he urged, calling for stronger social protection programs and investment in climate-resilient agriculture.
Save the Children’s Global Nutrition Lead, Hannah Stephenson, emphasized the urgency of the crisis: “Healthy diets play a critical role in preventing malnutrition, yet they remain unaffordable for nearly half of the world’s children. There is an urgent need for collective action to address this crisis.”
As the N4G summit unfolds, Save the Children is urging world leaders to strengthen food systems, expand access to nutritious diets, improve healthcare resilience, and invest in social protection programs. The organization is also calling for policies that integrate nutrition with climate and environmental initiatives to ensure sustainable progress.
The summit, hosted in Paris from March 27-28, is expected to mobilize new political and financial commitments towards ending malnutrition. The last N4G summit, held in Japan in 2021, secured $27 billion in pledges. The outcomes of this year’s meeting will be formalized in the Paris 2025 N4G Global Compact.
With malnutrition threatening millions of children worldwide, Save the Children is urging swift action: “The health and well-being of millions of children depend on our sustained efforts.”
