Addressing the Cost of a Healthy Diet
In order to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2—ending hunger (SDG 2.1) and all forms of malnutrition (SDG 2.2)—people must not only have access to sufficient food, it must also be nutritious.
The report uses Purchasing Power Parity dollars (PPP dollars) to demonstrate the cost of a healthy diet globally. This measurement allows economists to compare money across countries and account for how far that money actually goes in each place. According to the report, the cost of a healthy diet rose to 4.28 PPP dollars per day in 2025, up from 3.44 PPP dollars in 2021 and 2.94 PPP dollars in 2017. The World Banks’ international poverty line sits at 3 PPP dollars.
SOFI 2026 also highlights that the cost of a healthy diet is influenced by more than agricultural production alone. Much of the final cost is added after food leaves the farm through storage, transport, processing, distribution, and retail. This underscores the importance of strengthening the entire agrifood system to make nutritious diets more affordable and accessible.
Of particular concern, the percentage of people who cannot afford a healthy diet remains highest in Africa. The report estimates that good nutrition is out of reach for 66.6% of Africans in 2025—more than double the levels seen in Asia (28.9%) and Latin America and the Caribbean (25.7%).
“In Zambia, the high cost of nutritious food remains a significant barrier for many rural families,” said Samuel Mutambo, Country Leader, The Hunger Project-Zambia. “Rising food prices, climate-related shocks, and economic pressures have made healthy diets increasingly unaffordable, with women and children bearing the greatest burden. When nutritious foods are out of reach, the consequences are reflected in persistent rates of child malnutrition and poor health outcomes.”
