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Hunger · Europe & Central Asia

Hunger and malnutrition in Tajikistan

12.7Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 63Moderate

8.0% of people in Tajikistan do not get enough to eat, about 863 thousand. 14% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 6.4% are dangerously thin. Stunting ranges from 8.7% in Dushanbe to 15% in GBAO.

8.0%undernourished (2024, FAO)
24%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
14%children under 5 stunted (2023)
6.4%children under 5 wasted (2023)
5.2%children under 5 underweight (2023)
4.6%children under 5 overweight (2023)
37%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
28 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

Child stunting by region in Tajikistan

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. 1GBAO15%
  2. 2Khatlon15%
  3. 3DRS14%
  4. 4Sughd14%
  5. 5Dushanbe8.7%

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. 200039.2
  2. 200631.8
  3. 201224.2
  4. 201814.9
  5. 202612.7

Undernourishment in Tajikistan since 2002

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

  1. 200241%
  2. 200440%
  3. 200635%
  4. 200829%
  5. 201025%
  6. 201222%
  7. 201420%
  8. 201615%
  9. 201812%
  10. 202010%
  11. 20229.3%
  12. 20248.0%

How Tajikistan compares

Tajikistan has the 69th highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Europe & Central Asia it is 3rd of 32.

Frequently asked questions

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

Tajikistan ranks 63 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 12.7, which the index calls moderate. It scored 39.2 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Tajikistan?

FAO estimates 8.0% of people in Tajikistan were undernourished in 2024, about 863 thousand people. 24% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in Tajikistan?

14% of children under five in Tajikistan were stunted in 2023, which WHO rates medium. 6.4% were wasted (2023). That ranks Tajikistan 69 of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015, highest first.

Which region of Tajikistan has the most malnutrition?

In the 2023 Demographic and Health Survey, GBAO had the highest share of stunted children, 15%, and Dushanbe the lowest, 8.7%.

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 (TJ2023DHS).

Hunger in other countries of Europe & Central Asia

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