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Undernourishment

What this indicator measures

Share of the population whose usual diet does not provide enough energy for an active and healthy life (FAO estimate). Very low values are shown as "2.5", meaning "2.5% or less".

How to read this?

A value of 10% means 10 out of 100 people do not eat enough to meet their energy needs.

Ranking : ranked from lowest to highest

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167countries with data
56.5 %maximum · Somalia
4.9 %median
2.5 %minimum · Uzbekistan
2018–2024data year(s)

In brief

The "Undernourishment" ranking covers 167 countries and territories. Lowest value: Uzbekistan (2.5 %). Highest value: Somalia (56.5 %). Median: 4.9 % (data: 2018–2024). The top 10% of countries exceed 23.8 %, while the bottom 10% stay below 2.5 %. By continent, the median is highest in Africa (18.2 %) and lowest in Europe (2.5 %).

Median by continent

Lower Higher
  • Africa 18.2 % (47)
  • Asia 4.8 % (40)
  • North America 4.6 % (18)
  • South America 4.1 % (12)
  • Oceania 3.9 % (10)
  • Europe 2.5 % (38)

Why this indicator matters

Undernourishment measures the share of the population that does not eat enough to have sufficient energy. It is a central indicator of world hunger.

What makes this indicator vary

It depends on poverty, harvests, food prices, conflicts, climate disasters and distribution systems.

Reading precautions

It is a statistical estimate by the FAO, not a direct measure of hunger. Very low values are shown by a threshold.

Full ranking

ranked from lowest to highest

RankCountryValueYear
1er🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates2.5 %2024
1er🇦🇲 Armenia2.5 %2024
1er🇦🇺 Australia2.5 %2024
1er🇦🇹 Austria2.5 %2024
1er🇦🇿 Azerbaijan2.5 %2024
1er🇧🇪 Belgium2.5 %2024
1er🇧🇬 Bulgaria2.5 %2024
1er🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina2.5 %2024
1er🇧🇾 Belarus2.5 %2024
1er🇧🇷 Brazil2.5 %2024
1er🇨🇦 Canada2.5 %2024
1er🇨🇭 Switzerland2.5 %2024
1er🇨🇱 Chile2.5 %2024
1er🇨🇳 China2.5 %2024
1er🇨🇷 Costa Rica2.5 %2024
1er🇨🇾 Cyprus2.5 %2024
1er🇨🇿 Czechia2.5 %2024
1er🇩🇪 Germany2.5 %2024
1er🇩🇰 Denmark2.5 %2024
1er🇩🇴 Dominican Republic2.5 %2024
1er🇩🇿 Algeria2.5 %2024
1er🇪🇸 Spain2.5 %2024
1er🇪🇪 Estonia2.5 %2024
1er🇫🇮 Finland2.5 %2024
1er🇫🇷 France2.5 %2024
1er🇬🇧 United Kingdom2.5 %2024
1er🇬🇪 Georgia2.5 %2024
1er🇬🇷 Greece2.5 %2024
1er🇬🇾 Guyana2.5 %2024
1er🇭🇷 Croatia2.5 %2024
1er🇭🇺 Hungary2.5 %2024
1er🇮🇪 Ireland2.5 %2024
1er🇮🇸 Iceland2.5 %2024
1er🇮🇱 Israel2.5 %2024
1er🇮🇹 Italy2.5 %2024
1er🇯🇵 Japan2.5 %2024
1er🇰🇿 Kazakhstan2.5 %2024
1er🇰🇷 South Korea2.5 %2024
1er🇰🇼 Kuwait2.5 %2024
1er🇱🇹 Lithuania2.5 %2024
1er🇱🇺 Luxembourg2.5 %2024
1er🇱🇻 Latvia2.5 %2024
1er🇲🇩 Moldova2.5 %2024
1er🇲🇰 North Macedonia2.5 %2024
1er🇲🇹 Malta2.5 %2024
1er🇲🇪 Montenegro2.5 %2024
1er🇲🇳 Mongolia2.5 %2024
1er🇲🇾 Malaysia2.5 %2024
1er🇳🇱 Netherlands2.5 %2024
1er🇳🇴 Norway2.5 %2024
1er🇳🇿 New Zealand2.5 %2024
1er🇵🇱 Poland2.5 %2024
1er🇵🇹 Portugal2.5 %2024
1er🇷🇴 Romania2.5 %2024
1er🇷🇺 Russia2.5 %2024
1er🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia2.5 %2024
1er🇷🇸 Serbia2.5 %2024
1er🇸🇮 Slovenia2.5 %2024
1er🇸🇪 Sweden2.5 %2024
1er🇸🇨 Seychelles2.5 %2024
1er🇹🇷 Türkiye2.5 %2024
1er🇺🇾 Uruguay2.5 %2024
1er🇺🇸 United States2.5 %2024
1er🇺🇿 Uzbekistan2.5 %2024
65e🇵🇫 French Polynesia2.6 %2024
66e🇦🇷 Argentina2.8 %2024
66e🇹🇳 Tunisia2.8 %2024
68e🇩🇲 Dominica3 %2024
69e🇲🇽 Mexico3.1 %2024
70e🇵🇭 Philippines3.4 %2024
70e🇼🇸 Samoa3.4 %2024
72e🇨🇺 Cuba3.5 %2024
73e🇰🇮 Kiribati3.8 %2024
74e🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines4 %2024
75e🇨🇴 Colombia4.1 %2024
75e🇳🇨 New Caledonia4.1 %2024
75e🇵🇾 Paraguay4.1 %2024
75e🇹🇲 Turkmenistan4.1 %2024
79e🇧🇿 Belize4.4 %2024
80e🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma)4.6 %2024
81e🇰🇭 Cambodia4.7 %2024
81e🇵🇦 Panama4.7 %2024
83e🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan4.8 %2024
84e🇨🇲 Cameroon4.9 %2024
84e🇱🇰 Sri Lanka4.9 %2024
84e🇲🇺 Mauritius4.9 %2024
87e🇧🇧 Barbados5 %2024
88e🇳🇵 Nepal5.2 %2024
89e🇸🇳 Senegal5.3 %2024
89e🇸🇻 El Salvador5.3 %2024
89e🇻🇪 Venezuela5.3 %2024
92e🇹🇭 Thailand5.4 %2024
93e🇦🇱 Albania5.6 %2024
94e🇵🇪 Peru5.7 %2024
95e🇻🇺 Vanuatu5.8 %2024
96e🇻🇳 Vietnam6.1 %2024
97e🇮🇩 Indonesia6.3 %2024
98e🇬🇭 Ghana6.4 %2024
99e🇲🇦 Morocco6.5 %2024
100e🇮🇷 Iran6.7 %2024
101e🇴🇲 Oman7.1 %2024
102e🇫🇯 Fiji7.2 %2024
103e🇯🇲 Jamaica8 %2024
103e🇹🇯 Tajikistan8 %2024
105e🇨🇻 Cape Verde8.1 %2024
106e🇧🇩 Bangladesh8.2 %2024
107e🇪🇬 Egypt8.4 %2024
108e🇬🇳 Guinea8.7 %2024
109e🇮🇳 India9.8 %2024
110e🇱🇦 Laos10 %2024
111e🇹🇬 Togo10.2 %2024
112e🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago10.4 %2024
113e🇪🇨 Ecuador10.8 %2024
113e🇺🇦 Ukraine10.8 %2024
115e🇸🇩 Sudan10.9 %2021
116e🇲🇷 Mauritania11 %2024
117e🇧🇯 Benin11.1 %2024
117e🇱🇧 Lebanon11.1 %2024
119e🇿🇦 South Africa11.2 %2024
120e🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire11.4 %2024
121e🇧🇫 Burkina Faso11.7 %2024
122e🇲🇱 Mali12.1 %2024
123e🇯🇴 Jordan12.2 %2024
124e🇬🇹 Guatemala12.7 %2024
124e🇸🇷 Suriname12.7 %2024
126e🇳🇪 Niger12.9 %2024
127e🇮🇶 Iraq13.4 %2024
128e🇭🇳 Honduras14.3 %2024
129e🇩🇯 Djibouti14.7 %2024
130e🇸🇿 Eswatini15.1 %2024
131e🇵🇰 Pakistan16.1 %2024
132e🇰🇲 Comoros16.5 %2024
133e🇹🇱 Timor-Leste16.9 %2024
134e🇳🇮 Nicaragua17.3 %2022
135e🇦🇴 Angola17.4 %2024
136e🇬🇲 Gambia17.5 %2024
137e🇧🇼 Botswana18.2 %2024
138e🇿🇼 Zimbabwe18.4 %2024
139e🇱🇾 Libya18.7 %2024
140e🇹🇿 Tanzania19.1 %2024
141e🇧🇴 Bolivia19.5 %2024
142e🇪🇹 Ethiopia19.9 %2024
143e🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau20 %2024
144e🇳🇦 Namibia20.1 %2024
145e🇺🇬 Uganda20.9 %2024
146e🇳🇬 Nigeria22.2 %2024
147e🇲🇿 Mozambique22.3 %2024
148e🇷🇼 Rwanda22.6 %2024
149e🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe23 %2024
150e🇬🇦 Gabon23.3 %2024
151e🇲🇼 Malawi24.5 %2024
152e🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville25 %2024
153e🇸🇱 Sierra Leone25.3 %2024
154e🇸🇧 Solomon Islands27 %2024
155e🇦🇫 Afghanistan27.8 %2024
156e🇨🇫 Central African Republic29.8 %2024
157e🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea30.5 %2024
158e🇹🇩 Chad33.6 %2024
159e🇰🇪 Kenya34.9 %2024
160e🇱🇷 Liberia37.3 %2024
161e🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa39.5 %2024
162e🇸🇾 Syria40.8 %2024
163e🇿🇲 Zambia41 %2024
164e🇲🇬 Madagascar41.8 %2024
165e🇰🇵 North Korea47 %2018
166e🇭🇹 Haiti51.4 %2024
167e🇸🇴 Somalia56.5 %2024

Frequently asked questions

Which country has the highest value for "Undernourishment"?

The highest value is in Somalia, at 56.5 % (2024).

Which country has the lowest value for "Undernourishment"?

The lowest value is in Uzbekistan, at 2.5 % (2024).

What is the world median value of "Undernourishment"?

The world median is 4.9 %, calculated across 167 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.

What is the value of "Undernourishment" for France?

France scores 2.5 % (2024), ranking 1 out of 167 countries (ranked from lowest to highest).

Where does the "Undernourishment" data come from?

It comes from Banque mondiale (WDI), d'après FAO. Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.

What is the difference between undernourishment and malnutrition?

Undernourishment concerns a lack of dietary energy. Malnutrition is broader: nutrient deficiencies, overweight, stunted growth.

What does the lowest value mean?

Very low values are given by the FAO as a threshold: the actual figure is equal to or below that threshold.

Source and update

Source : Banque mondiale (WDI), d'après FAO. Site last updated: November 8, 2026.

Indicators in the same category : Health and healthcare system