Today marks the launch of the 2011 Global Hunger Index (GHI) report, the sixth in an annual series, which presents a multidimensional measure of global, regional, and national hunger. This year’s report shows that although the world has made some progress in reducing hunger, the proportion of hungry people remains high. The 2011 GHI has improved by slightly more than one-quarter over the 1990 GHI, but globally, hunger remains at a level categorized as “serious.”

Across regions and countries, GHI scores vary greatly. The highest GHI scores occur in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. South Asia reduced its GHI score substantially between 1990 and 1996, but this fast progress could not be maintained. Though Sub-Saharan Africa made less progress than South Asia after 1990, it has caught up since the turn of the millennium. To view individual country rankings, use the interactive widget below.