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Hunger · Sub-Saharan Africa

Hunger and malnutrition in the Republic of the Congo

20.9Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 91Serious

25% of people in the Republic of the Congo do not get enough to eat, about 1.6 million. 21% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 8.2% are dangerously thin. Stunting ranges from 19% in Brazzaville 2009 to 39% in Lékoumou.

25%undernourished (2024, FAO)
21%children under 5 stunted (2014)
8.2%children under 5 wasted (2014)
12%children under 5 underweight (2014)
5.9%children under 5 overweight (2014)
61%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
39 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

Child stunting by region in the Republic of the Congo

Children under five too short for their age, the 2011 Demographic and Health Survey (2011). Survey figures can differ from the UN estimate above, which is modelled across surveys.

  1. 1LékoumouSud39%
  2. 2PlateauxNord36%
  3. 3SanghaNord35%
  4. 4KouilouSud33%
  5. 5Cuvette-OuestNord29%
  6. 6LikoualaNord29%
  7. 7PoolSud29%
  8. 8NiariSud27%
  9. 9CuvetteNord24%
  10. 10BouénzaSud23%
  11. 11Pointe-Noire 200923%
  12. 12Brazzaville 200919%

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. 200035.3
  2. 200631.8
  3. 201229
  4. 201824.9
  5. 202620.9

Undernourishment in the Republic of the Congo since 2002

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

  1. 200226%
  2. 200427%
  3. 200631%
  4. 200835%
  5. 201039%
  6. 201235%
  7. 201428%
  8. 201628%
  9. 201829%
  10. 202027%
  11. 202226%
  12. 202425%

How the Republic of the Congo compares

In Sub-Saharan Africa it is 36th of 47.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Republic of the Congo's rank in the Global Hunger Index?

The Republic of the Congo ranks 91 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 20.9, which the index calls serious. It scored 35.3 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in the Republic of the Congo?

FAO estimates 25% of people in the Republic of the Congo were undernourished in 2024, about 1.6 million people.

What percentage of children are stunted in the Republic of the Congo?

21% of children under five in the Republic of the Congo were stunted in 2014, which WHO rates high. 8.2% were wasted (2014).

Which region of the Republic of the Congo has the most malnutrition?

In the 2011 Demographic and Health Survey, Lékoumou had the highest share of stunted children, 39%, and Brazzaville 2009 the lowest, 19%.

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 (CG2011DHS).

Hunger in other countries of Sub-Saharan Africa

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