Hunger and malnutrition in North Korea
47% of people in North Korea do not get enough to eat, about 12 million. 19% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 2.5% 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
- 200632.6
- 201229
- 201827.4
Undernourishment in North Korea since 2002
Share of people not getting enough calories, FAO. Each figure is a three-year average centred on the year.
- 200235%
- 200433%
- 200637%
- 200841%
- 201043%
- 201244%
- 201445%
- 201646%
- 201847%
How North Korea compares
North Korea has the 49th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In East Asia & Pacific it is 13th of 27.
Frequently asked questions
What is North Korea's rank in the Global Hunger Index?
North Korea ranks 118.3* in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 27.4, 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 North Korea?
FAO estimates 47% of people in North Korea were undernourished in 2018, about 12 million people.
What percentage of children are stunted in North Korea?
19% of children under five in North Korea were stunted in 2017, which WHO rates medium. 2.5% were wasted (2017). That ranks North Korea 49 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.