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Hunger · Sub-Saharan Africa

Hunger and malnutrition in Botswana

18.7Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 83Moderate

18% of people in Botswana do not get enough to eat, about 466 thousand. 29% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 7.3% are dangerously thin.

18%undernourished (2024, FAO)
52%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
29%children under 5 stunted (2007)
7.3%children under 5 wasted (2007)
12%children under 5 underweight (2007)
10%children under 5 overweight (2007)
43%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
33 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. 200029.8
  2. 200627.8
  3. 201223.3
  4. 201821.1
  5. 202618.7

Undernourishment in Botswana since 2002

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

  1. 200229%
  2. 200429%
  3. 200625%
  4. 200823%
  5. 201021%
  6. 201221%
  7. 201421%
  8. 201620%
  9. 201821%
  10. 202021%
  11. 202219%
  12. 202418%

How Botswana compares

In Sub-Saharan Africa it is 21st of 47.

Frequently asked questions

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

Botswana ranks 83 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 18.7, which the index calls moderate. It scored 29.8 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Botswana?

FAO estimates 18% of people in Botswana were undernourished in 2024, about 466 thousand people. 52% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in Botswana?

29% of children under five in Botswana were stunted in 2007, which WHO rates high. 7.3% 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; Global Hunger Index 2026.

Hunger in other countries of Sub-Saharan Africa

All countries