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Hunger · Latin America & Caribbean

Hunger and malnutrition in El Salvador

7Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 39Low

5.3% of people in El Salvador do not get enough to eat, about 337 thousand. 10% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 2.9% are dangerously thin.

5.3%undernourished (2024, FAO)
42%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
10%children under 5 stunted (2021)
2.9%children under 5 wasted (2021)
5.0%children under 5 underweight (2021)
8.3%children under 5 overweight (2021)
25%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
10 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. 200013.6
  2. 200612.2
  3. 201210
  4. 20187.2
  5. 20267

Undernourishment in El Salvador since 2002

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

  1. 20026.9%
  2. 20048.4%
  3. 20069.2%
  4. 20089.7%
  5. 20109.0%
  6. 20128.6%
  7. 20148.9%
  8. 20168.0%
  9. 20186.4%
  10. 20206.2%
  11. 20226.2%
  12. 20245.3%

How El Salvador compares

El Salvador has the 81st highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Latin America & Caribbean it is 13th of 28.

Frequently asked questions

What is El Salvador's rank in the Global Hunger Index?

El Salvador ranks 39 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 7, which the index calls low. It scored 13.6 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in El Salvador?

FAO estimates 5.3% of people in El Salvador were undernourished in 2024, about 337 thousand people. 42% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in El Salvador?

10% of children under five in El Salvador were stunted in 2021, which WHO rates medium. 2.9% were wasted (2021). That ranks El Salvador 81 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

All countries