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Hunger · Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan

Hunger and malnutrition in the United Arab Emirates

<5Global Hunger Index 2026, rank 1-24Low

Under 2.5% of people in the United Arab Emirates go without enough food.

under 2.5%undernourished (2024, FAO)
4.2%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
20%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
5 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. 2000under 5
  2. 20065.2
  3. 20125.2
  4. 2018under 5
  5. 2026under 5

Frequently asked questions

What is the United Arab Emirates's rank in the Global Hunger Index?

The United Arab Emirates ranks 1-24 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of <5, which the index calls low. It scored <5 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.

How many people are hungry in the United Arab Emirates?

Under 2.5% of people in the United Arab Emirates are undernourished (2024), FAO's lowest band, so hunger in the sense of too few calories is rare.

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.

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