Global School Meal Programs Soar: 466 Million Children Fed, 80 Million More Than in 2020
The World Food Programme notes that approximately 80 million more children now receive school meals than in 2020, bringing the total to about 466 million, a 20% increase overall. The increase in coverage is strongest at the points of greatest need: low-income countries increased coverage by roughly 60% in two years, and in Africa, there are about 20 million new daily school meals being served. The government views school feeding as a smart investment. WFP observes these programs improve children's nutrition and learning and also support local farmers and economies. WFP executive director Cindy McCain pointed out that daily school meals can be "a pathway out of poverty and into a new world of learning" for these vulnerable students, which makes them a highly cost-effective investment for the future.
Global funding for school-based programs has more than doubled. It has gone from $43 billion in 2020 to $84 billion in 2024, with 99% of that now coming from national budgets. In that sense, most programs are funded by the countries' national budgets, not through foreign aid mechanisms. The School Meals Coalition (greater than 100 governments) has effectively contributed to what has almost doubled the number of countries with official school feeding policies from 56 to 107 since 2020. Feeding programs also encourage learning: it has been found that children who eat regularly demonstrate larger increases in math, literacy, and cognitive skills than their peers who received only extra teacher training or technology inputs. This implies that food provision has the potential to address the global “learning crisis” by increasing the effectiveness of education. In addition to education, school meals function as a strong safety net and provide a great return on investment: for every $1 put into a school meal program, for example, you can expect around $7 to $35 in returns if health, education, and productivity factor in. Putting 466 million children in school comes with an estimated 7.4 million cooking and related jobs worldwide.
This is often done by sourcing food from low-income, local farmers. School meal programs also have the benefit of empowering women and improving the nutrition of children: girls typically see more gains than boys in education and health, and women can work as cooks or suppliers in the school system. WFP itself plays a significant part by helping countries develop and implement these programs. It is helping governments feed 139 million children with school meals, plus directly feeding another 21 million on its own. In emergencies (like Haiti) and fragile states (like Armenia, Benin, and Iraq), WFP has implemented feeding programs while working to build local systems that can take over. The report concludes that investing in school meals today will lead to healthier, better educated generations and stronger communities tomorrow.
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