In the Global Hunger Index, 2022, India ranked 107 out of 121 countries, much behind its South Asia neighbours, with the child wasting rate at 19.3 per cent, the highest in the world. With a score of 29.1, the level of hunger in India has been labelled "serious". The Ministry of Women and Child Development on October 15 rejected the findings, alleging it is an effort to taint the country's image and the index suffers from serious methodological issues and is an "erroneous measure" of hunger.
