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Hunger

Hunger and child malnutrition, country by country

How many people go hungry and how many children are stunted or wasted in 196 countries. 55 countries also have figures by state, province or region from their health surveys, and India has them district by district.

Global Hunger Index 2026: the most serious

Scores out of 100, higher is worse. 20 to 35 is serious, 35 to 50 alarming and 50 or more extremely alarming.

  1. 1SomaliaRank 12247
  2. 2DR CongoRank 12139.5
  3. 3ChadRank 12038
  4. 4MadagascarRank 11936.5
  5. 5HaitiRank 11834.4
  6. 6NigeriaRank 11734.3
  7. 7NigerRank 11634.1
  8. 8Central African RepublicRank 11533.1
  9. 9Timor-LesteRank 11432.5
  10. 10LiberiaRank 11332.3
  11. 11Papua New GuineaRank 11131.5
  12. 12SyriaRank 11131.5
  13. 13ZambiaRank 11030.7
  14. 14Sierra LeoneRank 10928.7
  15. 15AfghanistanRank 10828.6

Where the most children are stunted

Children under five who are too short for their age, latest estimate since 2015. 30% or more is very high.

  1. 1Burundi202453%
  2. 2Yemen202249%
  3. 3Niger202248%
  4. 4Timor-Leste202047%
  5. 5Guatemala202146%
  6. 6DR Congo202345%
  7. 7Afghanistan202245%
  8. 8Madagascar202140%
  9. 9Central African Republic202238%
  10. 10Angola201538%
  11. 11Pakistan201838%
  12. 12Ethiopia201937%
  13. 13Mozambique202237%
  14. 14Lesotho202436%
  15. 15India202036%

Where the most people go hungry

Share of people who do not get enough calories, FAO's prevalence of undernourishment.

  1. 1Somalia202457%
  2. 2Haiti202451%
  3. 3North Korea201847%
  4. 4Madagascar202442%
  5. 5Zambia202441%
  6. 6Syria202441%
  7. 7DR Congo202440%
  8. 8Liberia202437%
  9. 9Kenya202435%
  10. 10Chad202434%
  11. 11Papua New Guinea202431%
  12. 12Central African Republic202430%
  13. 13Afghanistan202428%
  14. 14Solomon Islands202427%
  15. 15Sierra Leone202425%

India, state by state and district by district

Child stunting, wasting and anaemia in every state from NFHS-5 (2019-21), and in each district whose factsheet has been tabulated.

Hunger in India

Every country

East Asia & Pacific

Europe & Central Asia

Latin America & Caribbean

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

North America

South Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the most hunger?

In the 2026 Global Hunger Index, Somalia has the highest score, 47, followed by DR Congo and Chad. The index combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and child deaths.

Where are children most stunted?

Burundi has the highest share of stunted children under five, 53% (2024), then Yemen and Niger, in the UNICEF/WHO/World Bank estimates. A stunted child is too short for their age, the mark of years of poor nutrition.

What is the difference between hunger, stunting and wasting?

Undernourishment (hunger) is the share of people who do not eat enough calories over a year, estimated by FAO. Stunting is low height for age in children under five, caused by long-term undernutrition. Wasting is low weight for height, a sign of recent severe hunger or illness, and the most likely to kill.

Is there hunger data for my city or neighbourhood?

Surveys of child nutrition measure countries, and states, provinces or districts within them, but not cities or neighbourhoods. Search for your city and you will reach the district or region it sits in, the closest figure that exists.