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Hunger · East Asia & Pacific

Hunger and malnutrition in Cambodia

14.3Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 70Moderate

4.7% of people in Cambodia do not get enough to eat, about 839 thousand. 22% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 9.6% are dangerously thin. Stunting ranges from 15% in Kandal to 39% in Ratanak Kiri.

4.7%undernourished (2024, FAO)
36%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
22%children under 5 stunted (2021)
9.6%children under 5 wasted (2021)
16%children under 5 underweight (2021)
4.1%children under 5 overweight (2021)
49%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
18 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

Child stunting by region in Cambodia

Children under five too short for their age, the 2021 Demographic and Health Survey (2021). Survey figures can differ from the UN estimate above, which is modelled across surveys.

  1. 1Ratanak KiriMondol Kiri/Rattanak Kiri39%
  2. 2Pursat33%
  3. 3Mondul KiriMondol Kiri/Rattanak Kiri29%
  4. 4Stueng TrengPreah Vihear/Stueng Treng/Kratie29%
  5. 5KampotKampot/Krong Kep28%
  6. 6KepKampot/Krong Kep28%
  7. 7Preah Vihear/Stueng TrengPreah Vihear/Stueng Treng/Kratie27%
  8. 8Kampong Thom27%
  9. 9Preah VihearPreah Vihear/Stueng Treng/Kratie26%
  10. 10Takeo26%
  11. 11Siem ReapSiem Reap/Otdar Mean Chey26%
  12. 12Kampong Speu25%
  13. 13Preah SihanoukKrong Preah Sihanouk/Kaoh Kong24%
  14. 14Tboung KhmumKampong Cham (includng Tboung Khmum)24%
  15. 15Otdar Mean CheySiem Reap/Otdar Mean Chey23%
  16. 16Kampong ChamKampong Cham (includng Tboung Khmum)23%
  17. 17PailinBattambang/Krong Pailin23%
  18. 18Kaoh KongKrong Preah Sihanouk/Kaoh Kong23%
  19. 19Prey Veng22%
  20. 20KratiePreah Vihear/Stueng Treng/Kratie22%
  21. 21Kampong Chhnang19%
  22. 22Svay Rieng18%
  23. 23BattambangBattambang/Krong Pailin18%
  24. 24Banteay Meanchey16%
  25. 25Phnom Penh15%
  26. 26Kandal15%

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. 200039.8
  2. 200626.8
  3. 201221.3
  4. 201815.2
  5. 202614.3

Undernourishment in Cambodia since 2002

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

  1. 200218%
  2. 200416%
  3. 200614%
  4. 200812%
  5. 201010%
  6. 20128.5%
  7. 20148.1%
  8. 20166.8%
  9. 20185.6%
  10. 20205.6%
  11. 20225.8%
  12. 20244.7%

How Cambodia compares

Cambodia has the 44th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In East Asia & Pacific it is 10th of 27.

Frequently asked questions

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

Cambodia ranks 70 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 14.3, which the index calls moderate. It scored 39.8 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Cambodia?

FAO estimates 4.7% of people in Cambodia were undernourished in 2024, about 839 thousand people. 36% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in Cambodia?

22% of children under five in Cambodia were stunted in 2021, which WHO rates high. 9.6% were wasted (2021). That ranks Cambodia 44 of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015, highest first.

Which region of Cambodia has the most malnutrition?

In the 2021 Demographic and Health Survey, Ratanak Kiri had the highest share of stunted children, 39%, and Kandal the lowest, 15%.

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; regions from the DHS Program (KH2021DHS).

Hunger in other countries of East Asia & Pacific

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