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Hunger · Europe & Central Asia

Hunger and malnutrition in Portugal

3.2%of children under five stunted (2016)Low

Under 2.5% of people in Portugal go without enough food. 3.2% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 1.1% are dangerously thin.

under 2.5%undernourished (2024, FAO)
11%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
3.2%children under 5 stunted (2016)
1.1%children under 5 wasted (2016)
0.9%children under 5 underweight (2016)
7.1%children under 5 overweight (2016)
14%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
3 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

How Portugal compares

Portugal has the 119th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Europe & Central Asia it is 19th of 32.

Frequently asked questions

How many people are hungry in Portugal?

Under 2.5% of people in Portugal are undernourished (2024), FAO's lowest band, so hunger in the sense of too few calories is rare.

What percentage of children are stunted in Portugal?

3.2% of children under five in Portugal were stunted in 2016, which WHO rates low. 1.1% were wasted (2016). That ranks Portugal 119 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.

Hunger in other countries of Europe & Central Asia

All countries