Gujarat's alarming rank on the hunger index and rising malnutrition among children highlight its struggle to meet Sustainable Development Goals, despite being an economically prosperous state
Gujarat has emerged as one of the poorest performers in tackling child nutrition and hunger, according to the latest Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) report released by NITI Aayog. The report, covering the 2023-24 period, places Gujarat 25th in the state-wise hunger index rankings, exposing significant challenges in a state otherwise known for its economic prosperity.
The NITI Aayog data reveals that nearly 40 percent of children under five in Gujarat are underweight, a distressing statistic that underlines the state's struggle with malnutrition. Gujarat's performance on the SDG 2 index, which aims to achieve zero hunger, has been consistently declining—from a score of 49 in 2018 to 41 in 2019, and 46 in 2021. This steady decline places Gujarat in the ‘aspirant’ category, alongside states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, which also score poorly on the index.
The rankings are based on a scoring system where states are categorised as ‘aspirants’ (scoring 0-49), ‘performers’ (50-64), ‘front runners’ (65-99), and ‘achievers’ (100). Gujarat’s position among the ‘aspirants’ is particularly concerning given the state's economic stature.
Further compounding the issue, the data highlights that 62.5 percent of pregnant women in Gujarat, aged 15-49, are anaemic, and 25.2 percent of women in the same age group have a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5. The situation has worsened since 2018 and 2019, with increases in the number of underweight and stunted children, as well as anaemic women.
The 2023 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report further underscores the severity of the problem, revealing that nearly 44.45 percent of Gujarat’s rural population and 28.97 percent of its urban population are deprived of adequate nutrition.
These figures reflect a growing crisis in Gujarat's efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition, calling for urgent and targeted interventions to reverse the trend and improve the health outcomes for its most vulnerable populations.