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Hunger · Latin America & Caribbean

Hunger and malnutrition in Bolivia

14.2Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 69Moderate

20% of people in Bolivia do not get enough to eat, about 2.5 million. 16% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 2.0% are dangerously thin.

20%undernourished (2024, FAO)
30%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
16%children under 5 stunted (2016)
2.0%children under 5 wasted (2016)
3.4%children under 5 underweight (2016)
10%children under 5 overweight (2016)
37%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
16 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

Global Hunger Index score over time

Out of 100, lower is better. The index rescores past years with the latest data, so these are comparable with each other.

  1. 200026.6
  2. 200623
  3. 201216.2
  4. 201812.2
  5. 202614.2

Undernourishment in Bolivia since 2002

Share of people not getting enough calories, FAO. Each figure is a three-year average centred on the year.

  1. 200226%
  2. 200427%
  3. 200626%
  4. 200823%
  5. 201020%
  6. 201218%
  7. 201417%
  8. 201615%
  9. 201814%
  10. 202015%
  11. 202218%
  12. 202420%

How Bolivia compares

Bolivia has the 59th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Latin America & Caribbean it is 6th of 28.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bolivia's rank in the Global Hunger Index?

Bolivia ranks 69 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 14.2, which the index calls moderate. It scored 26.6 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Bolivia?

FAO estimates 20% of people in Bolivia were undernourished in 2024, about 2.5 million people. 30% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in Bolivia?

16% of children under five in Bolivia were stunted in 2016, which WHO rates medium. 2.0% were wasted (2016). That ranks Bolivia 59 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; Global Hunger Index 2026.

Hunger in other countries of Latin America & Caribbean

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