Hunger and malnutrition in Syria
41% of people in Syria do not get enough to eat, about 10 million. 28% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 12% are dangerously thin.
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.
- 200014.8
- 200617.1
- 201219.2
- 201828
- 202631.5
Undernourishment in Syria since 2002
Share of people not getting enough calories, FAO. Each figure is a three-year average centred on the year.
- 20027.1%
- 20046.5%
- 20066.0%
- 20085.6%
- 20105.5%
- 20127.7%
- 201410%
- 201615%
- 201823%
- 202031%
- 202236%
- 202441%
How Syria compares
In Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan it is 4th of 20.
Frequently asked questions
What is Syria's rank in the Global Hunger Index?
Syria ranks 111 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 31.5, which the index calls serious. It scored 14.8 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.
How many people are hungry in Syria?
FAO estimates 41% of people in Syria were undernourished in 2024, about 10 million people.
What percentage of children are stunted in Syria?
28% of children under five in Syria were stunted in 2010, which WHO rates high. 12% were wasted (2010).
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.