Hunger and malnutrition in Laos
10% of people in Laos do not get enough to eat, about 787 thousand. 33% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 11% are dangerously thin.
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.
- 200043.8
- 200629.5
- 201221.5
- 201820.1
- 202620
Undernourishment in Laos since 2002
Share of people not getting enough calories, FAO. Each figure is a three-year average centred on the year.
- 200229%
- 200423%
- 200617%
- 200813%
- 20109.9%
- 20128.7%
- 20147.4%
- 20167.4%
- 20188.3%
- 20209.1%
- 20229.1%
- 202410%
How Laos compares
Laos has the 22nd highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In East Asia & Pacific it is 4th of 27.
Frequently asked questions
What is Laos's rank in the Global Hunger Index?
Laos ranks 85 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 20, which the index calls serious. It scored 43.8 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.
How many people are hungry in Laos?
FAO estimates 10% of people in Laos were undernourished in 2024, about 787 thousand people. 34% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).
What percentage of children are stunted in Laos?
33% of children under five in Laos were stunted in 2023, which WHO rates very high. 11% were wasted (2023). That ranks Laos 22 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.