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Hunger · Sub-Saharan Africa

Hunger and malnutrition in South Africa

15.4Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 74Moderate

11% of people in South Africa do not get enough to eat, about 7.3 million. 21% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 3.6% are dangerously thin. Stunting ranges from 21% in Northern Cape to 34% in Gauteng.

11%undernourished (2024, FAO)
21%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
21%children under 5 stunted (2017)
3.6%children under 5 wasted (2017)
4.9%children under 5 underweight (2017)
12%children under 5 overweight (2017)
44%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
35 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

Child stunting by region in South Africa

Children under five too short for their age, the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey (2016). Survey figures can differ from the UN estimate above, which is modelled across surveys.

  1. 1Gauteng34%
  2. 2Free State34%
  3. 3KwaZulu Natal29%
  4. 4North West27%
  5. 5Eastern Cape25%
  6. 6Western Cape23%
  7. 7Northern Province22%
  8. 8Mpumalanga22%
  9. 9Northern Cape21%

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. 200016.7
  2. 200617.8
  3. 201213.2
  4. 201813.1
  5. 202615.4

Undernourishment in South Africa since 2002

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

  1. 20023.5%
  2. 20043.3%
  3. 20063.3%
  4. 20083.4%
  5. 20104.1%
  6. 20124.6%
  7. 20145.6%
  8. 20166.0%
  9. 20186.1%
  10. 20208.6%
  11. 202210%
  12. 202411%

How South Africa compares

South Africa has the 45th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Sub-Saharan Africa it is 35th of 47.

Frequently asked questions

What is South Africa's rank in the Global Hunger Index?

South Africa ranks 74 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 15.4, which the index calls moderate. It scored 16.7 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in South Africa?

FAO estimates 11% of people in South Africa were undernourished in 2024, about 7.3 million people. 21% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in South Africa?

21% of children under five in South Africa were stunted in 2017, which WHO rates high. 3.6% were wasted (2017). That ranks South Africa 45 of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015, highest first.

Which region of South Africa has the most malnutrition?

In the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey, Gauteng had the highest share of stunted children, 34%, and Northern Cape the lowest, 21%.

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 (ZA2016DHS).

Hunger in other countries of Sub-Saharan Africa

All countries