Jordan: Jordan has recorded "continued" improvements in food security and nutrition indicators, according to the 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, Agriculture Minister and Vice Chairman of the Higher Council for Food Security Saeb Khraisat said Wednesday.
According to Jordan News Agency, Khraisat stated that the report, issued this month by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), highlighted Jordan's progress across several national food security and nutrition indicators. The report noted a decline in the prevalence of undernourishment, consistently low levels of acute child malnutrition, and improved affordability of healthy diets, reinforcing Jordan's position among countries with stable food security based on internationally recognized indicators.
Khraisat detailed that the prevalence of undernourishment, a key indicator for monitoring Sustainable Development Goal 2, fell to 12.2% during the 2023-2025 period from 14.3% in 2022-2024 and 17.9% in 2021-2023. This reflects improved food availability and access in the Kingdom. Additionally, the report showed that the prevalence of child wasting remained unchanged at 2.3 percent, one of the lowest rates compared with regional and global averages.
The minister emphasized that maintaining such a low level in one of the most sensitive indicators of food insecurity demonstrates the effectiveness of Jordan's child nutrition and healthcare programs and underscores the importance of sustaining those efforts. Furthermore, the prevalence of child stunting under five stood at 7.7 percent in 2024, which is below regional and global averages, indicating continued stability in children's nutritional status and the positive impact of national policies aimed at reducing chronic malnutrition.
Revealing an improvement in the affordability of healthy diets, the report indicated that the share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet declined to 2.2 percent in 2025 from 2.3 percent in 2024. Additionally, the report documented a decrease in adult obesity among people aged 18 and older to 35.4 percent in SOFI 2026, based on 2024 data, from 38.5 percent reported in SOFI 2025, which was based on 2022 data.
On future policy directions, Khraisat mentioned that the government would continue implementing policies to address remaining food security and nutrition challenges by protecting lower-income groups and supporting domestic agricultural production. The government also plans to strengthen supply chains, improve dietary quality, and promote healthy eating habits in line with the Economic Modernization Vision and the National Food Security Strategy.