Global hunger facts

How has poverty changed in the last 30 years?

Since the Famine's turning 30, we're taking a look back over the last 30 years.  A lot has changed in the fight against poverty -- for the better!

When the 30 Hour Famine started 30 years ago, the stats were grim: One little kid died nearly every six seconds from hunger-related causes. Faced with this tragic reality, youth groups around the country decided to do something about it.

People paid attention, and today, the number of child deaths per day has dropped by almost 10,000. Groups like yours have joined the global fight against hunger and have literally saved lives. That’s worth celebrating!

And while there’s been amazing progress, there’s still more work to do to help people lift themselves out of poverty. The ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on countries’ economies and infrastructure are threatening much of this progress. Nearly twice as many people could be suffering acute hunger now. People living in poverty are already up against lots of difficulties, like lack of access to healthcare, clean water, or education. And, of the 689 million people living in extreme poverty, half live in just five countries: India, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.

Fighting hunger and poverty means making sure kids in places like these are well-fed— and it means empowering their families with the building blocks of success, like good educations, job opportunities, health and nutrition knowledge, food security, and more.

By taking action, we can join in the kingdom-bringing Jesus modeled for us. Loving sacrificially. Giving up our time. Caring for the hurting. And raising funds for hungry kids through the 30 Hour Famine!
Let’s get this party started.

48 million

Latin America and the Caribbean

235million

sub-Saharan Africa

381million

Asia