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Hunger · Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

Hunger and malnutrition in Egypt

10.5Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 55Moderate

8.4% of people in Egypt do not get enough to eat, about 9.9 million. 13% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 3.3% are dangerously thin. Stunting ranges from 15% in Frontier governorates excluding North and South Sinai to 30% in Upper Egypt - urban.

8.4%undernourished (2024, FAO)
30%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
13%children under 5 stunted (2021)
3.3%children under 5 wasted (2021)
3.7%children under 5 underweight (2021)
10%children under 5 overweight (2021)
32%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
22 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

Child stunting by region in Egypt

Children under five too short for their age, the 2014 Demographic and Health Survey (2014). Survey figures can differ from the UN estimate above, which is modelled across surveys.

  1. 1Upper Egypt - urbanUpper Egypt30%
  2. 2Upper Egypt - ruralUpper Egypt25%
  3. 3Lower Egypt - urbanLower Egypt19%
  4. 4Urban Governorates19%
  5. 5Lower Egypt - ruralLower Egypt18%
  6. 6Frontier governorates excluding North and South Sinai15%

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. 200016.5
  2. 200614.6
  3. 201216
  4. 201811.6
  5. 202610.5

Undernourishment in Egypt since 2002

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

  1. 20025.0%
  2. 20045.8%
  3. 20065.4%
  4. 20085.0%
  5. 20105.1%
  6. 20125.7%
  7. 20146.4%
  8. 20166.6%
  9. 20186.4%
  10. 20207.1%
  11. 20228.5%
  12. 20248.4%

How Egypt compares

Egypt has the 70th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan it is 8th of 20.

Frequently asked questions

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

Egypt ranks 55 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 10.5, which the index calls moderate. It scored 16.5 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Egypt?

FAO estimates 8.4% of people in Egypt were undernourished in 2024, about 9.9 million people. 30% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in Egypt?

13% of children under five in Egypt were stunted in 2021, which WHO rates medium. 3.3% were wasted (2021). That ranks Egypt 70 of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015, highest first.

Which region of Egypt has the most malnutrition?

In the 2014 Demographic and Health Survey, Upper Egypt - urban had the highest share of stunted children, 30%, and Frontier governorates excluding North and South Sinai 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 (EG2014DHS).

Hunger in other countries of Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

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