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Hunger · Sub-Saharan Africa

Hunger and malnutrition in Senegal

15.4Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 74Moderate

5.3% of people in Senegal do not get enough to eat, about 1.0 million. 18% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 10% are dangerously thin. Stunting ranges from 10% in Ziguinchor to 28% in Kaffrine.

5.3%undernourished (2024, FAO)
28%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
18%children under 5 stunted (2023)
10%children under 5 wasted (2023)
16%children under 5 underweight (2023)
1.1%children under 5 overweight (2023)
68%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
37 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

Child stunting by region in Senegal

Children under five too short for their age, the 2023 Demographic and Health Survey (2023). Survey figures can differ from the UN estimate above, which is modelled across surveys.

  1. 1KaffrineCentre28%
  2. 2MatamNord et Est25%
  3. 3SédhiouSud25%
  4. 4Tambacounda (2010)Sud24%
  5. 5Tambacounda (2005)Sud23%
  6. 6Saint LouisNord et Est23%
  7. 7KédougouSud21%
  8. 8Kaolack (2005)Centre21%
  9. 9Kolda (2005)Sud21%
  10. 10LougaNord et Est18%
  11. 11Kolda (2010)Sud18%
  12. 12DiourbelCentre18%
  13. 13ThièsOuest16%
  14. 14FatickCentre16%
  15. 15Kaolack (2010)Centre15%
  16. 16DakarOuest10%
  17. 17ZiguinchorSud10%

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. 200032.5
  2. 200623.6
  3. 201219.5
  4. 201816.2
  5. 202615.4

Undernourishment in Senegal since 2002

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

  1. 200220%
  2. 200417%
  3. 200615%
  4. 200811%
  5. 201011%
  6. 201212%
  7. 201411%
  8. 20169.2%
  9. 20187.5%
  10. 20205.6%
  11. 20225.4%
  12. 20245.3%

How Senegal compares

Senegal has the 55th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Sub-Saharan Africa it is 41st of 47.

Frequently asked questions

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

Senegal ranks 74 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 15.4, which the index calls moderate. It scored 32.5 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Senegal?

FAO estimates 5.3% of people in Senegal were undernourished in 2024, about 1.0 million people. 28% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in Senegal?

18% of children under five in Senegal were stunted in 2023, which WHO rates medium. 10% were wasted (2023). That ranks Senegal 55 of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015, highest first.

Which region of Senegal has the most malnutrition?

In the 2023 Demographic and Health Survey, Kaffrine had the highest share of stunted children, 28%, and Ziguinchor the lowest, 10%.

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 (SN2023DHS).

Hunger in other countries of Sub-Saharan Africa

All countries