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Hunger · Europe & Central Asia

Hunger and malnutrition in the United Kingdom

2.0%of children under five stunted (2019)Very low

Under 2.5% of people in the United Kingdom go without enough food. 2.0% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 0.4% are dangerously thin.

under 2.5%undernourished (2024, FAO)
7.4%moderately or severely food insecure (2024)
2.0%children under 5 stunted (2019)
0.4%children under 5 wasted (2019)
0.6%children under 5 underweight (2019)
6.5%children under 5 overweight (2019)
16%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
5 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)

How the United Kingdom compares

The United Kingdom has the 122nd highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In Europe & Central Asia it is 23rd of 32.

Frequently asked questions

How many people are hungry in the United Kingdom?

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

What percentage of children are stunted in the United Kingdom?

2.0% of children under five in the United Kingdom were stunted in 2019, which WHO rates very low. 0.4% were wasted (2019). That ranks the United Kingdom 122 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.

Hunger in other countries of Europe & Central Asia

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