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Hunger · Europe & Central Asia

Hunger and malnutrition in Belgium

1.9%of children under five stunted (2023)Very low

Under 2.5% of people in Belgium go without enough food. 1.9% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 0.8% are dangerously thin.

under 2.5%undernourished (2024, FAO)
9.3%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
1.9%children under 5 stunted (2023)
0.8%children under 5 wasted (2023)
0.3%children under 5 underweight (2023)
5.4%children under 5 overweight (2023)
17%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
4 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

How Belgium compares

Belgium has the 123rd highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Europe & Central Asia it is 24th of 32.

Frequently asked questions

How many people are hungry in Belgium?

Under 2.5% of people in Belgium 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 Belgium?

1.9% of children under five in Belgium were stunted in 2023, which WHO rates very low. 0.8% were wasted (2023). That ranks Belgium 123 of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015, highest first.

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.

Hunger in other countries of Europe & Central Asia

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