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Hunger · Sub-Saharan Africa

Hunger and malnutrition in Nigeria

34.3Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 117Serious

22% of people in Nigeria do not get enough to eat, about 53 million. 34% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 12% are dangerously thin. Stunting ranges from 12% in Rivers to 65% in Katsina.

22%undernourished (2024, FAO)
77%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
34%children under 5 stunted (2021)
12%children under 5 wasted (2021)
24%children under 5 underweight (2021)
1.5%children under 5 overweight (2021)
69%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
116 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

Child stunting by region in Nigeria

Children under five too short for their age, the 2024 Demographic and Health Survey (2024). Survey figures can differ from the UN estimate above, which is modelled across surveys.

  1. 1KatsinaNorth West65%
  2. 2ZamfaraNorth West64%
  3. 3BauchiNorth East62%
  4. 4KebbiNorth West60%
  5. 5JigawaNorth West56%
  6. 6YobeNorth East55%
  7. 7KanoNorth West52%
  8. 8GombeNorth East51%
  9. 9AdamawaNorth East49%
  10. 10PlateauNorth Central46%
  11. 11TarabaNorth East46%
  12. 12NigerNorth Central44%
  13. 13SokotoNorth West43%
  14. 14BornoNorth East41%
  15. 15KwaraNorth Central41%
  16. 16KadunaNorth West41%
  17. 17NasarawaNorth Central35%
  18. 18KogiNorth Central35%
  19. 19EbonyiSouth East32%
  20. 20OsunSouth West31%
  21. 21BayelsaSouth South28%
  22. 22BenueNorth Central25%
  23. 23Akwa IbomSouth South24%
  24. 24OndoSouth West23%
  25. 25OyoSouth West23%
  26. 26Cross RiverSouth South21%
  27. 27AbiaSouth East20%
  28. 28DeltaSouth South20%
  29. 29OgunSouth West18%
  30. 30ImoSouth East17%
  31. 31LagosSouth West17%
  32. 32EkitiSouth West17%
  33. 33FCT AbujaNorth Central16%
  34. 34EnuguSouth East15%
  35. 35EdoSouth South14%
  36. 36AnambraSouth East13%
  37. 37RiversSouth South12%

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. 200037.3
  2. 200632.5
  3. 201231
  4. 201828.2
  5. 202634.3

Undernourishment in Nigeria since 2002

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

  1. 20028.7%
  2. 20048.9%
  3. 20069.2%
  4. 20089.6%
  5. 201011%
  6. 201212%
  7. 201411%
  8. 201611%
  9. 201812%
  10. 202016%
  11. 202219%
  12. 202422%

How Nigeria compares

Nigeria has the 20th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Sub-Saharan Africa it is 15th of 47.

Frequently asked questions

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

Nigeria ranks 117 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 34.3, which the index calls serious. It scored 37.3 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Nigeria?

FAO estimates 22% of people in Nigeria were undernourished in 2024, about 53 million people. 77% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in Nigeria?

34% of children under five in Nigeria were stunted in 2021, which WHO rates very high. 12% were wasted (2021). That ranks Nigeria 20 of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015, highest first.

Which region of Nigeria has the most malnutrition?

In the 2024 Demographic and Health Survey, Katsina had the highest share of stunted children, 65%, and Rivers the lowest, 12%.

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; regions from the DHS Program (NG2024DHS).

Hunger in other countries of Sub-Saharan Africa

All countries