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Hunger · Latin America & Caribbean

Hunger and malnutrition in Paraguay

<5Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 1-24Low

4.1% of people in Paraguay do not get enough to eat, about 288 thousand. 5.6% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 1.0% are dangerously thin.

4.1%undernourished (2024, FAO)
26%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
5.6%children under 5 stunted (2016)
1.0%children under 5 wasted (2016)
1.3%children under 5 underweight (2016)
12%children under 5 overweight (2016)
28%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
16 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.

  1. 200012.8
  2. 20069.7
  3. 20126.9
  4. 2018under 5
  5. 2026under 5

Undernourishment in Paraguay since 2002

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

  1. 20029.1%
  2. 20047.9%
  3. 20066.0%
  4. 20083.6%
  5. 20102.5%
  6. 20122.5%
  7. 20142.5%
  8. 20162.5%
  9. 20182.7%
  10. 20203.3%
  11. 20224.1%
  12. 20244.1%

How Paraguay compares

Paraguay has the 109th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Latin America & Caribbean it is 24th of 28.

Frequently asked questions

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

Paraguay ranks 1-24 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of <5, which the index calls low. It scored 12.8 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Paraguay?

FAO estimates 4.1% of people in Paraguay were undernourished in 2024, about 288 thousand people. 26% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in Paraguay?

5.6% of children under five in Paraguay were stunted in 2016, which WHO rates low. 1.0% were wasted (2016). That ranks Paraguay 109 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.

Hunger in other countries of Latin America & Caribbean

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