Data released by Save the Children ahead of the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in Paris shows that 1.12 billion children worldwide, nearly half of the global child population, are unable to afford a balanced diet.
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This was contained in a press statement titled “Healthy diet now unaffordable for nearly half of world’s children” issued to newsmen.
The International aid agency warns that rising food prices and the increasing cost of living have forced millions of families to opt for cheaper, less nutritious food, putting children’s health and development at serious risk.
The report, which analyzed the cost of a healthy diet in 167 countries, found that children in low- and lower-middle-income nations are the most affected, with 68% unable to afford nutritious meals.
The high cost of healthy food remains a major barrier, forcing families to prioritize filling stomachs over ensuring dietary quality.
Save the Children’s Global Nutrition Lead, Hannah Stephenson, emphasized the urgency of addressing this crisis at the Paris summit.
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“The N4G summit is a critical opportunity for the international community to drive progress against malnutrition. Healthy diets are essential in preventing malnutrition, which can have life-long consequences for children. However, they remain unaffordable for nearly half of the world’s children,” she said.
Youth activists from affected countries also shared their experiences. Mayra Alejandra Obregon Ocoro, a national Youth Coordinator for the Scaling Up Nutrition Civil Society Movement (SUN CSN) in Colombia, described how poverty and food inflation have led families to consume diets high in carbohydrates but lacking essential nutrients.
“In Colombia, deep social inequalities mean many children suffer from malnutrition and lack access to adequate food,” she said, urging global leaders to take concrete actions such as reducing the cost of healthy food, promoting local agriculture, and ensuring fair distribution of resources.
Similarly, Sohanur Rahman from Bangladesh highlighted how economic disparities and climate-induced disasters like floods have worsened food insecurity.
“I have seen how rising food prices and extreme weather events push families to rely on cheap, nutrient-poor diets,” he said. “Leaders must commit to policies that make nutritious food affordable and accessible for all, including strengthening social protection programs and investing in climate-resilient agriculture.”
Save the Children is calling on world leaders at the summit to implement urgent reforms, including: Strengthening sustainable food systems and ensuring equitable access to nutritious diets, Improving health systems to make them resilient and inclusive.
Expanding social protection programs to support vulnerable families, Empowering women and placing them at the center of nutrition initiatives, Integrating nutrition policies into sectors such as climate and environment.
The organization stresses that addressing malnutrition requires a multi-sectoral approach, financial commitments, and evidence-based policies. With malnutrition threatening the future of millions of children, advocates at the summit insist that urgent, collective action is needed now.