Hunger and malnutrition in Japan
7.1%of children under five stunted (2010)Low
Under 2.5% of people in Japan go without enough food. 7.1% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 2.4% are dangerously thin.
under 2.5%undernourished (2024, FAO)
6.1%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
7.1%children under 5 stunted (2010)
2.4%children under 5 wasted (2010)
3.4%children under 5 underweight (2010)
1.4%children under 5 overweight (2010)
17%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
2 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)
How Japan compares
In East Asia & Pacific it is 21st of 27.
Frequently asked questions
How many people are hungry in Japan?
Under 2.5% of people in Japan 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 Japan?
7.1% of children under five in Japan were stunted in 2010, which WHO rates low. 2.4% were wasted (2010).
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.