ROME , Italy ( CNN ) -- A U.N. report says hunger is on the rise globally and blames higher food prices . Populations within conflict zones such as the Democratic Republic of Congo are particularly vulnerable . The Food and Agriculture Organization has issued preliminary estimates classifying 963 million people as undernourished -- an increase of 40 million people over the past year . `` One out of seven people -- about 15 percent -- suffer chronically of not having enough to eat , '' said Mark Smulders , an FAO economist . The hunger report -- titled `` The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008 '' -- said the world 's financial and economic problems could throw more people into poverty . The number of hungry had been increasing over the years before the rise in food prices , with warfare and political instability continuing to be among the factors causing poverty . The preliminary estimates lack a firm country breakdown , but last year 's figures are an accurate measure of where the problems are . About 907 out of 923 million undernourished people in 2007 , or 65 percent of the hungry , live in India , China , the war-wracked Democratic Republic of Congo , Bangladesh , Indonesia , Pakistan and Ethiopia . Smulders said about 27 percent of the world 's hungry live in India and 15 percent in China . The other countries each represent 4 to 5 percent of the world 's total . There has been progress in fighting hunger in the Asian nations of Thailand and Vietnam , and in the sub-Saharan African nations of Ghana , Republic of Congo , Nigeria , Mozambique and Malawi , the report said . Food prices have declined from their peak earlier in the year , but they are staying high compared to other years , the agency said . The Food and Agriculture Organization 's food price index was 28 percent higher in October than it was two years before . `` Prices of major cereals have fallen by over 50 percent from their peaks earlier in 2008 but they remain high compared to previous years , '' the FAO said . The agency said the `` rural and urban poor , landless farmers and female-headed households are the worst hit by high food prices . '' -- CNN 's Joe Sterling contributed to this report .
Food and Agriculture Organization agency says food prices are to blame for an increase in hunger . U.N. issues estimates 40 million undernourished . It is an increase of 963 million people over 2007 .