Hunger and malnutrition in Papua New Guinea
31% of people in Papua New Guinea do not get enough to eat, about 3.3 million. 50% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 14% 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.
- 200031.4
- 200630.8
- 201236.4
- 201831.4
- 202631.5
Undernourishment in Papua New Guinea since 2002
Share of people not getting enough calories, FAO. Each figure is a three-year average centred on the year.
- 200227%
- 200429%
- 200628%
- 200828%
- 201030%
- 201229%
- 201428%
- 201628%
- 201829%
- 202028%
- 202229%
- 202431%
How Papua New Guinea compares
In East Asia & Pacific it is 1st of 27.
Frequently asked questions
What is Papua New Guinea's rank in the Global Hunger Index?
Papua New Guinea ranks 111 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 31.5, which the index calls serious. It scored 31.4 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.
How many people are hungry in Papua New Guinea?
FAO estimates 31% of people in Papua New Guinea were undernourished in 2024, about 3.3 million people. 57% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2019).
What percentage of children are stunted in Papua New Guinea?
50% of children under five in Papua New Guinea were stunted in 2010, which WHO rates very high. 14% 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; Global Hunger Index 2026.