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Hunger · South Asia

Hunger and malnutrition in Sri Lanka

10.2Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 53Moderate

4.9% of people in Sri Lanka do not get enough to eat, about 1.1 million. 11% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 9.3% are dangerously thin.

4.9%undernourished (2024, FAO)
10%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
11%children under 5 stunted (2024)
9.3%children under 5 wasted (2024)
17%children under 5 underweight (2024)
0.5%children under 5 overweight (2024)
25%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
6 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. 200022.1
  2. 200619.9
  3. 201220.8
  4. 201811.4
  5. 202610.2

Undernourishment in Sri Lanka since 2002

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

  1. 200216%
  2. 200415%
  3. 200614%
  4. 200811%
  5. 201011%
  6. 201210%
  7. 20146.1%
  8. 20164.1%
  9. 20185.4%
  10. 20203.3%
  11. 20225.8%
  12. 20244.9%

How Sri Lanka compares

Sri Lanka has the 80th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In South Asia it is 6th of 6.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sri Lanka's rank in the Global Hunger Index?

Sri Lanka ranks 53 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 10.2, which the index calls moderate. It scored 22.1 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Sri Lanka?

FAO estimates 4.9% of people in Sri Lanka were undernourished in 2024, about 1.1 million people. 10% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in Sri Lanka?

11% of children under five in Sri Lanka were stunted in 2024, which WHO rates medium. 9.3% were wasted (2024). That ranks Sri Lanka 80 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 South Asia

All countries