Dominican Republic sees significant drop in hunger rates

Santo Domingo.- Agriculture Minister Limber Cruz announced that the Dominican Republic has achieved a notable reduction in hunger, according to data from five international organizations. The country now ranks 19th out of 26 Latin American nations with the lowest undernourishment rates, based on the 2022–2024 report by FAO, WFP, IFAD, WHO, and UNICEF.

The report shows that 3.6% of the Dominican population—about 400,000 people—currently suffers from undernourishment, a sharp drop from the 6.3% (or approximately 700,000 people) recorded between 2020 and 2022. This progress is attributed to strong government policies that have boosted agricultural productivity, improved infrastructure, and promoted investment and technological innovation in the sector.

Minister Cruz, who recently participated in the UN Food Systems Summit in Ethiopia, noted that only seven Latin American countries have lower undernourishment rates than the Dominican Republic: Uruguay, Guyana, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Chile (2.5% each), Mexico (2.7%), and Argentina (3.4%). He emphasized that the country’s current rate is well below regional and global averages, including Africa (19.7%), the Caribbean (17.5%), and Asia (7.3%).