Hunger and malnutrition in Vietnam
6.1% of people in Vietnam do not get enough to eat, about 6.2 million. 18% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 4.4% 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.
- 200024.2
- 200622.1
- 201215.6
- 201812.9
- 202611.2
Undernourishment in Vietnam since 2002
Share of people not getting enough calories, FAO. Each figure is a three-year average centred on the year.
- 200218%
- 200415%
- 200615%
- 200813%
- 201010%
- 20128.8%
- 20148.3%
- 20167.7%
- 20186.9%
- 20205.9%
- 20225.9%
- 20246.1%
How Vietnam compares
Vietnam has the 52nd highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In East Asia & Pacific it is 14th of 27.
Frequently asked questions
What is Vietnam's rank in the Global Hunger Index?
Vietnam ranks 58 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index with a score of 11.2, which the index calls moderate. It scored 24.2 in 2000. The score combines undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and deaths of children under five.
How many people are hungry in Vietnam?
FAO estimates 6.1% of people in Vietnam were undernourished in 2024, about 6.2 million people. 9.4% faced moderate or severe food insecurity (2024).
What percentage of children are stunted in Vietnam?
18% of children under five in Vietnam were stunted in 2023, which WHO rates medium. 4.4% were wasted (2023). That ranks Vietnam 52 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; Global Hunger Index 2026.