Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Experts from the Institute of Macroeconomic and Regional Research (IMRI) analyzed the FAO report on the state of food security and nutrition in Europe and Central Asia.

Between 2020 and 2022, the prevalence of undernutrition in Central Asia fell to 3.0%, compared with the global average of 9.2%. In particular, in Uzbekistan this indicator in the period 2020-2022 was below 2.5%.

Acute food insecurity affected 4.6% of the Central Asian population in 2022 (world average: 11.3%), down 0.4 percentage points. than in 2021, but still higher than the 2.3% level in 2019, which was observed before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, 3.5 million people were acutely food insecure in Central Asia, 0.3 million fewer people than in 2021.

The average value of moderate or severe food insecurity in Central Asia for 2022 was 17.4% (world average - 29.6%), an increase of 2.7 percentage points. below the 2021 value.

FAO estimates that 13.4 million people were moderately or severely food insecure in Central Asia in 2022, down 1.9 million in 2021.

The prevalence of stunting in children under 5 years of age in Central Asia in 2022 was 7.7%, an increase of 0.9 percentage points. less than in 2020 and by 20.3 percentage points. less than in 2000 (28.0%). In particular, in Uzbekistan this figure decreased from 28.9% in 2000 to 6.9% in 2022.

The prevalence of anemia among women aged 15 to 49 years in Central Asia as a whole decreased by 12.3 percentage points. – from 40.4% in 2000 to 28.1% in 2019. Uzbekistan has also made some progress in reducing the prevalence of anemia. Thus, this indicator in the period from 2000 to 2019 was reduced by 21.7 percentage points. (from 46.5% to 24.8%).

Moderate food insecurity is a situation where people lose confidence in their ability to obtain the food they need and are forced, at times throughout the year, to reduce the quality and/or quantity of food they eat due to a lack of money or other resources.

Acute food insecurity means that people are likely to run out of food, experience hunger and, in the most extreme cases, go days without eating, putting their health and well-being at serious risk.