Skip to content
Hunger · Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

Hunger and malnutrition in Iran

7.2Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 41Low

6.7% of people in Iran do not get enough to eat, about 6.2 million. 4.8% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 4.3% are dangerously thin.

6.7%undernourished (2024, FAO)
38%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
4.8%children under 5 stunted (2017)
4.3%children under 5 wasted (2017)
4.3%children under 5 underweight (2017)
2.9%children under 5 overweight (2017)
27%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
11 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. 200012.4
  2. 20069.8
  3. 20129.1
  4. 20188.3
  5. 20267.2

Undernourishment in Iran since 2002

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

  1. 20025.2%
  2. 20045.9%
  3. 20066.9%
  4. 20087.9%
  5. 20109.4%
  6. 20129.2%
  7. 20147.6%
  8. 20167.7%
  9. 20188.0%
  10. 20206.9%
  11. 20226.6%
  12. 20246.7%

How Iran compares

Iran has the 112th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan it is 18th of 20.

Frequently asked questions

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

Iran ranks 41 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 7.2, which the index calls low. It scored 12.4 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Iran?

FAO estimates 6.7% of people in Iran were undernourished in 2024, about 6.2 million people. 38% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in Iran?

4.8% of children under five in Iran were stunted in 2017, which WHO rates low. 4.3% were wasted (2017). That ranks Iran 112 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

All countries