Radio Free Asia reports that the privately-run International Food Policy Research Institute says North Korea is one of three nations where hunger has been the most exacerbated during the past two decades.

The institute surveyed food shortages in some 120 nations globally and published its findings in the 2011 Global Hunger Index, which also listed the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Burundi in Africa as nations where hunger has grown significantly over the past 20 years.

The institute also said North Korea’s hunger index has jumped by 18-percent during the past 20 years. It cited flawed economic policies, high military expenses and outdated agricultural technologies as reasons for the increase in hunger.