Hunger · Sub-Saharan Africa

Hunger and malnutrition in the Central African Republic

33.1Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 115Serious

30% of people in the Central African Republic do not get enough to eat, about 1.6 million. 38% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 5.2% are dangerously thin.

30%undernourished (2024, FAO)

88%moderately or severely food insecure (2022)

38%children under 5 stunted (2022)

5.2%children under 5 wasted (2022)

18%children under 5 underweight (2022)

1.5%children under 5 overweight (2019)

74%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)

90 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.

200046.8
200644.4
201237.1
201834.5
202633.1

Undernourishment in the Central African Republic since 2002

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

200237%
200437%
200633%
200829%
201027%
201229%
201431%
201627%
201824%
202027%
202230%
202430%

How the Central African Republic compares

The Central African Republic has the 9th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Sub-Saharan Africa it is 7th of 47.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Central African Republic's rank in the Global Hunger Index?

The Central African Republic ranks 115 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 33.1, which the index calls serious. It scored 46.8 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in the Central African Republic?

FAO estimates 30% of people in the Central African Republic were undernourished in 2024, about 1.6 million people. 88% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2022).

What percentage of children are stunted in the Central African Republic?

38% of children under five in the Central African Republic were stunted in 2022, which WHO rates very high. 5.2% were wasted (2022). That ranks the Central African Republic 9 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.