Hunger and malnutrition in Australia
1.9%of children under five stunted (2007)Very low
Under 2.5% of people in Australia go without enough food. 1.9% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 0.2% are dangerously thin.
under 2.5%undernourished (2024, FAO)
15%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
1.9%children under 5 stunted (2007)
0.2%children under 5 wasted (2007)
0.5%children under 5 underweight (2007)
22%children under 5 overweight (2017)
13%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
4 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)
How Australia compares
In East Asia & Pacific it is 26th of 27.
Frequently asked questions
How many people are hungry in Australia?
Under 2.5% of people in Australia are undernourished (2024), FAO's lowest band, so hunger in the sense of too few calories is rare.
What percentage of children are stunted in Australia?
1.9% of children under five in Australia were stunted in 2007, which WHO rates very low. 0.2% were wasted (2007).
Sources: FAO (undernourishment, food insecurity), UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Joint Malnutrition Estimates (stunting, wasting, underweight, overweight), WHO (anaemia) and UN IGME (child deaths), as published by the World Bank.