Hunger · Europe & Central Asia

Hunger and malnutrition in Kazakhstan

6Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 31Low

Under 2.5% of people in Kazakhstan go without enough food. 8.0% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 3.1% are dangerously thin.

under 2.5%undernourished (2024, FAO)

1.4%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)

8.0%children under 5 stunted (2015)

3.1%children under 5 wasted (2015)

2.0%children under 5 underweight (2015)

9.3%children under 5 overweight (2015)

23%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)

9 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.

200011.9
200613
20128.8
20186.1
20266

How Kazakhstan compares

Kazakhstan has the 93rd highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Europe & Central Asia it is 8th of 32.

Frequently asked questions

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

Kazakhstan ranks 31 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 6, which the index calls low. It scored 11.9 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Kazakhstan?

Under 2.5% of people in Kazakhstan 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 Kazakhstan?

8.0% of children under five in Kazakhstan were stunted in 2015, which WHO rates low. 3.1% were wasted (2015). That ranks Kazakhstan 93 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.