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Hunger · Europe & Central Asia

Hunger and malnutrition in Ukraine

11.6Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 60Moderate

11% of people in Ukraine do not get enough to eat, about 4.2 million. 23% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 8.2% are dangerously thin.

11%undernourished (2024, FAO)
32%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
23%children under 5 stunted (2000)
8.2%children under 5 wasted (2000)
4.1%children under 5 underweight (2000)
27%children under 5 overweight (2000)
26%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
8 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. 200012.8
  2. 200610.8
  3. 20129.7
  4. 20189.8
  5. 202611.6

Undernourishment in Ukraine since 2002

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

  1. 20022.5%
  2. 20042.5%
  3. 20062.5%
  4. 20082.5%
  5. 20102.5%
  6. 20122.5%
  7. 20142.5%
  8. 20162.5%
  9. 20183.3%
  10. 20205.2%
  11. 20227.4%
  12. 202411%

How Ukraine compares

In Europe & Central Asia it is 1st of 32.

Frequently asked questions

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

Ukraine ranks 60 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 11.6, which the index calls moderate. It scored 12.8 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in Ukraine?

FAO estimates 11% of people in Ukraine were undernourished in 2024, about 4.2 million people. 32% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).

What percentage of children are stunted in Ukraine?

23% of children under five in Ukraine were stunted in 2000, which WHO rates high. 8.2% were wasted (2000).

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 Europe & Central Asia

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