The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today launched the fourth edition of its report The State of School Feeding in the World 2024, which shows significant progress in school feeding programmes around the world. The survey shows that 466 million children receive daily meals at school, an increase of 80 million in just four years. This is the most comprehensive global assessment on the subject and is considered the official UN benchmark in the sector.
According to the document, programmes have grown in all regions and income brackets, but the greatest advances have occurred in low-income countries, which have more than doubled their coverage in just two years. On the African continent, 20 million new students were served during this period, with Rwanda, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Kenya standing out.
The report also shows that global investment in school feeding has more than doubled since 2020, from US$41 billion to US$84 billion. Of this amount, 99% comes from national governments’ own resources, revealing a strong political commitment to nutrition and the future of children. Only US$ 445 million comes from international cooperation, a modest amount given the scale required.
According to the publication, school feeding programmes are a profitable and high-impact investment: for every dollar invested, between 7 and 35 dollars in economic benefits are generated in sectors such as education, health, social protection and agriculture.
Despite progress, the WFP warns that significant inequalities in access persist. While coverage in rich countries reaches 80% of primary school-aged children, in low-income countries only 27% of them receive meals at school. This means that millions of boys and girls are still without this safety net, which is considered vital for education, health and food security.
The publication also points out that school feeding is no longer seen as simple social assistance but is now treated as a strategic national development policy. School meals not only help to combat hunger and improve nutrition, but also increase school attendance, reduce dropout rates, create jobs and strengthen local economies, especially by integrating family farmers and short supply chains.
A prime example is Brazil’s National School Meals Programme (PNAE), cited in the report as an international model. The PNAE provides daily meals to nearly 40 million public school students and, by law, allocates at least 30% of its resources to the purchase of food from family farms. This strategy guarantees income for thousands of local producers and promotes more diverse and sustainable diets.
The report also emphasises the role of the School Meals Coalition, created in 2021 and now comprising 108 countries, more than 140 partner organisations and six regional bodies. The Coalition has been responsible for much of the recent expansion, translating political commitments into concrete action and supporting governments in creating policies and legal frameworks for programmes.
There is also evidence that school meals are one of the most effective ways to improve learning in mathematics and literacy. Studies cited in the document indicate that, in terms of cost-effectiveness, school feeding can outperform other traditional educational interventions, such as book distribution or teacher training, by combining two effects: attracting children to school and promoting concentration and performance in the classroom.
Finally, the WFP points out that the world is currently experiencing a decline in humanitarian and development aid, which jeopardises the expansion of programmes in the most vulnerable countries. Even so, the report argues that school feeding is one of the most resilient and transformative public policies today: an investment that offers multiple and lasting benefits, helping to prepare a healthier, better educated generation capable of facing global challenges.
Read the full report The State of School Feeding Worldwide (available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese)
