The causes of so many children being born into hunger are primarily conflicts, flight, and extreme weather events, according to the organization that has analyzed data from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization FAO.
An additional contributing cause is stated to be that food, globally, has become more expensive.
"Over 18 million children were born into a world where hunger is their reality from the first moment of life", says Hannah Stephenson, global department head at Save the Children, in a press release.
The figures show that the number of children born into hunger this year increased by five percent compared to last year.
The calculation does not include Gaza – where several warnings of famine have been issued – since FAO does not include figures from the occupied Palestinian territories.
The most children born undernourished in 2024 – approximately 1.6 million – were found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to Save the Children.
