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Hunger · Europe & Central Asia

Hunger and malnutrition in Finland

2.8%of children under five stunted (2023)Low

Under 2.5% of people in Finland go without enough food. 2.8% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 1.6% are dangerously thin.

under 2.5%undernourished (2024, FAO)
13%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
2.8%children under 5 stunted (2023)
1.6%children under 5 wasted (2023)
4.3%children under 5 overweight (2023)
12%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
2 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

How Finland compares

Finland has the 120th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Europe & Central Asia it is 21st of 32.

Frequently asked questions

How many people are hungry in Finland?

Under 2.5% of people in Finland are undernourished (2024), FAO's lowest band, so hunger in the sense of too few calories is rare.

What percentage of children are stunted in Finland?

2.8% of children under five in Finland were stunted in 2023, which WHO rates low. 1.6% were wasted (2023). That ranks Finland 120 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.

Hunger in other countries of Europe & Central Asia

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