Map Options
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
55%
Malnutrition Rate by Country 2024
Malnutrition is still a significant problem all over the world, and there are some countries that have higher rates of malnutrition than others. Given that the majority of Africa is still developing, it should come as no surprise that there is a significant malnutrition rate in Africa. The country with the highest rate of malnutrition in the world is Somalia. In 2019, it was estimated that close to 60 percent of everyone in Somalia suffered from some degree of malnutrition. Even though there has been a major push by the United Nations to provide the people in Somalia with access to more national resources, malnutrition is still a significant problem in this country.
What Other Countries Have High Rates of Malnutrition?
There are plenty of other countries that have exceptionally high rates of malnutrition as well. For example, Haiti is estimated to have a malnutrition rate of approximately 50.4 percent. This means that over half of everyone in the country suffers from some degree of malnutrition. Madagascar, a country in East Africa, is also believed to suffer from a tremendous rate of malnutrition. It has been estimated that approximately 39.7 percent of people in Madagascar suffer from malnutrition. Finally, Yemen is also known to have a very high rate of malnutrition. Approximately 39.5 percent of all people in Yemen suffer from malnutrition, which has contributed to significant problems in this country.
What Is the Global Rate of Malnutrition?
Globally, the rate of malnutrition has dropped during the past few decades. It was estimated that approximately 15 percent of people in the world suffered from malnutrition in 2000. Then, in 2019, the global rate of malnutrition was estimated to be approximately 9 percent. This is a significant reduction in a relatively short amount of time. Globally, this means that approximately 690 million people are estimated to suffer from undernutrition. This is a significant concern that is still being addressed by a wide variety of nonprofit organizations, but there is also some concern that the economic issues created by the global pandemic will make it harder for nonprofit organizations to get the resources they need to help people who suffer from malnutrition all over the world.
Why Do Some Parts of the World Still Suffer From Malnutrition?
There are several reasons why there are still a lot of areas in the world where malnutrition is a major concern. A lot of places do not have access to clean water, which is the most basic natural resource. Without access to basic water services, a lot of people are going to suffer from dehydration. Furthermore, there are a lot of countries that suffer from food deserts. This means that there is not enough fresh food for people to eat. When all of this is combined with the logistical problems of a developing country, it leads to a very high rate of malnutrition in countries all over the world.
- Data shows average values for 3 years.
- 2.5 is minimum value for the prevalence of undernourishment. As such, countries with a listed prevalence of 2.5 may actually have a lower percentage of undernourishment.
Country | Undernourishment Rate 2021-2023 (%) | # of Undernourished Individuals 2021-2023 (Millions) | Undernourishment Rate 2019-2021 (%) | # of Undernourished Individuals 2019-2021 (Millions) | Undernourishment Rate 2009-2011 (%) | # of Undernourished Individuals 2009-2011 (Millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somalia | 51.3% | 9 | 51.1% | 8.7 | 71.4% | 8.6 |
| Haiti | 50.4% | 5.8 | 45.1% | 5.5 | 41.1% | 4 |
| Madagascar | 39.7% | 11.8 | 37.6% | 11.2 | 26.9% | 5.8 |
| Yemen | 39.5% | 13.3 | 36.7% | 12.2 | 24.2% | 6 |
| Liberia | 38.4% | 2 | 37.5% | 2 | 32.9% | 0.4 |
| Zimbabwe | 38.1% | 6.2 | 39.5% | 6.2 | 26.2% | 3.4 |
| DR Congo | 37% | 36.6 | 35% | 34.2 | 29.6% | 19.7 |
| Uganda | 36.9% | 17.4 | 37.1% | 16.9 | 20.4% | 6.6 |
| Zambia | 35.4% | 7.1 | 32.9% | 6.7 | 42.7% | 5.9 |
| Chad | 35.1% | 6.2 | 31.8% | 5.8 | 25.1% | 3 |
| Kenya | 34.5% | 18.7 | 26% | 16.5 | 21.7% | 9 |
| Syria | 34% | 7.6 | 29.6% | 6.9 | 5.2% | 1.2 |
| Guinea Bissau | 32.2% | 0.7 | 31.7% | 0.7 | 21% | 0.3 |
| Rwanda | 31.4% | 4.3 | 34.7% | 4.5 | 35.7% | 3.7 |
| Afghanistan | 30.4% | 12.5 | 27.7% | 11.8 | 19.4% | 5.5 |
| Sierra Leone | 28.4% | 2.4 | 28.2% | 2.4 | 27.1% | 1.7 |
| Papua New Guinea | 27.7% | 2.8 | 27.4% | 2.7 | 29.2% | 2.2 |
| Republic of the Congo | 26.8% | 1.6 | 27.8% | 1.6 | 40.5% | 1.8 |
| Mozambique | 24.8% | 8.2 | 28.3% | 8.4 | 22.2% | 5.1 |
| Botswana | 24.3% | 0.6 | 22.9% | 0.6 | 22% | 0.5 |
| Tanzania | 23.8% | 15.6 | 23.5% | 15.2 | 24.1% | 10.9 |
| Central African Republic | 23.5% | 1.3 | 21.8% | 1.2 | 24.7% | 1.2 |
| Angola | 23.2% | 8.3 | 20.5% | 7.6 | 22.8% | 5.3 |
| Bolivia | 23% | 2.8 | 16.9% | 2.5 | 20.1% | 2.1 |
| Ethiopia | 22.2% | 27.3 | 23% | 28.3 | 21.9% | 19.6 |
| Namibia | 22.2% | 0.6 | 19.1% | 0.5 | 29.2% | 0.6 |
| Pakistan | 20.7% | 48.8 | 15.8% | 43.7 | 14.9% | 28.9 |
| Gambia | 20.5% | 0.6 | 17.1% | 0.5 | 8.9% | 0.2 |
| Honduras | 20.4% | 2.1 | 15.8% | 1.9 | 15.9% | 1.3 |
| Gabon | 20.1% | 0.5 | 19.7% | 0.5 | 14.1% | 0.2 |
| Malawi | 19.9% | 4.1 | 19% | 3.9 | 13.6% | 2 |
| Nicaragua | 19.6% | 1.4 | 18.7% | 1.3 | 19.5% | 1.1 |
| Solomon Islands | 19.4% | 0.1 | 19.4% | 0.1 | 14.2% | 0.1 |
| Nigeria | 18% | 39.4 | 15.1% | 36.3 | 9.2% | 14.9 |
| Jordan | 17.9% | 2 | 15.8% | 1.9 | 6.2% | 0.4 |
| Venezuela | 17.6% | 5 | 22.2% | 5.7 | 2.5% | |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 16.4% | 0.1 | 15.5% | 0.1 | 16.5% | 0.1 |
| Iraq | 16.1% | 7.2 | 15.8% | 7 | 13.7% | 4.3 |
| Timor Leste | 15.9% | 0.2 | 15.4% | 0.2 | 19.6% | 0.2 |
| Burkina Faso | 15.4% | 3.5 | 15.1% | 3.3 | 15.1% | 2.4 |
| Ecuador | 13.9% | 2.5 | 13.6% | 2.5 | 11.5% | 1.7 |
| India | 13.7% | 194.6 | 13.1% | 196.9 | 14.8% | 183.5 |
| Dominica | 13.4% | 0.1 | 13.4% | 0.1 | 3.8% | 0.1 |
| Niger | 13.3% | 3.5 | 12% | 3.2 | 15.9% | 2.7 |
| Djibouti | 12.9% | 0.1 | 11.9% | 0.1 | 19.9% | 0.2 |
| Togo | 12.8% | 1.1 | 16% | 1.2 | 20.3% | 1.3 |
| Guatemala | 12.6% | 2.3 | 13.6% | 2.3 | 15.7% | 2.3 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 12.6% | 0.2 | 11.2% | 0.2 | 8.1% | 0.1 |
| Cape Verde | 12.6% | 0.1 | 13.2% | 0.1 | 14.1% | 0.1 |
| Eswatini | 12.4% | 0.1 | 11.3% | 0.1 | 21% | 0.2 |
| Bangladesh | 11.9% | 20.3 | 12.1% | 19.9 | 15.2% | 22.6 |
| Sudan | 11.4% | 5.3 | 11.1% | 5 | - | |
| Libya | 11.4% | 0.8 | 11% | 0.8 | 6.6% | |
| Macau | 10.7% | 0.1 | 8.7% | 0.1 | 10.4% | 0.1 |
| Guinea | 10.3% | 1.4 | 10.4% | 1.3 | 17.4% | 1.8 |
| Benin | 10.3% | 1.4 | 10.8% | 1.4 | 9.8% | 0.9 |
| Suriname | 10.1% | 0.1 | 9.3% | 0.1 | 7.9% | 0.1 |
| Ivory Coast | 9.6% | 2.7 | - | 2.5 | 16.6% | 3.5 |
| Mali | 9.6% | 2.2 | 4.6% | 1.6 | 6.6% | 1 |
| Lebanon | 9.6% | 0.5 | 8.9% | 0.6 | 5.5% | 0.3 |
| Mauritania | 9.3% | 0.4 | 7.5% | 0.4 | 7% | 0.2 |
| Tajikistan | 8.7% | 0.9 | 9.4% | 0.9 | 24.9% | 1.9 |
| Egypt | 8.5% | 9.4 | 6.9% | 8.3 | 5.2% | 4.6 |
| South Africa | 8.1% | 4.9 | 6.9% | 4.6 | 4.6% | 2.4 |
| Vanuatu | 7.9% | 0.1 | 8% | 0.1 | 6.4% | 0.1 |
| Fiji | 7.8% | 0.1 | 6.2% | 0.1 | 6.1% | 0.1 |
| Jamaica | 7.3% | 0.2 | 7% | 0.2 | 8.5% | 0.2 |
| Indonesia | 7.2% | 19.9 | 6.3% | 18.6 | 13.1% | 32 |
| Peru | 7% | 2.4 | 6.7% | 2.4 | 8.5% | 2.5 |
| Morocco | 6.9% | 2.6 | 5.3% | 2.4 | 4.8% | 1.5 |
| El Salvador | 6.8% | 0.4 | 6.6% | 0.4 | 9.2% | 0.6 |
| Iran | 6.5% | 5.8 | 6.5% | 5.7 | 7.5% | 5.6 |
| Ghana | 6.2% | 2.1 | 6% | 1.9 | 7% | 1.8 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 6.1% | 0.4 | 5.1% | 0.4 | 7.4% | 0.4 |
| Philippines | 5.9% | 6.9 | 5.8% | 6.9 | 13.1% | 12.4 |
| Mauritius | 5.9% | 0.1 | 7.2% | 0.1 | 5.2% | 0.1 |
| Ukraine | 5.8% | 2.3 | 4.3% | 2.2 | 2.5% | |
| Nepal | 5.7% | 1.7 | 5.6% | 1.7 | 10.4% | 2.8 |
| Cameroon | 5.7% | 1.6 | 5.9% | 1.6 | 6.2% | 1.2 |
| Oman | 5.7% | 0.3 | 5.7% | 0.3 | 6.3% | 0.2 |
| Thailand | 5.6% | 4 | 6.1% | 4.1 | 10.1% | 6.9 |
| Panama | 5.6% | 0.2 | 4.7% | 0.2 | 9.8% | 0.4 |
| New Caledonia | 5.6% | 0.1 | 6% | 0.1 | 8.6% | 0.1 |
| Laos | 5.4% | 0.4 | 6.3% | 0.4 | 15.6% | 1 |
| French Polynesia | 5.4% | 0.1 | 5.2% | 0.1 | 4.5% | 0.1 |
| Samoa | 5.4% | 0.1 | 4.4% | 0.1 | 4.1% | 0.1 |
| Myanmar | 5.3% | 2.9 | 4% | 2.5 | 11% | 5.4 |
| Vietnam | 5.2% | 5.1 | 5.5% | 5.1 | 10.5% | 9.2 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 4.8% | 0.1 | 6.1% | 0.1 | 6% | 0.1 |
| Senegal | 4.6% | 0.8 | 4.7% | 0.8 | 10.9% | 1.4 |
| Cambodia | 4.6% | 0.8 | 4.9% | 0.8 | 10.7% | 1.5 |
| Dominican Republic | 4.6% | 0.5 | 6.2% | 0.6 | 13.5% | 1.3 |
| Belize | 4.6% | 0.1 | 4.4% | 0.1 | 5.4% | |
| Paraguay | 4.5% | 0.3 | 3.4% | 0.3 | 2.5% | |
| Albania | 4.5% | 0.1 | 4.4% | 0.1 | 5.4% | 0.2 |
| Colombia | 4.2% | 2.2 | 4.4% | 2.2 | 11.3% | 5.1 |
| Sri Lanka | 4.1% | 0.9 | 3.8% | 0.8 | 10.5% | 2.2 |
| Turkmenistan | 4.1% | 0.3 | 3.8% | 0.2 | 4.5% | 0.2 |
| Georgia | 4% | 0.1 | 5.2% | 0.2 | 6.8% | 0.3 |
| Brazil | 3.9% | 8.4 | 3.4% | 9 | 3.5% | 7 |
| Taiwan | 3.7% | 0.9 | 3.8% | 0.9 | 4.7% | 1.1 |
| Kiribati | 3.7% | 0.1 | 3.8% | 0.1 | 5.1% | 0.1 |
| Slovakia | 3.6% | 0.2 | 2.8% | 0.2 | 5.2% | 0.3 |
| Barbados | 3.5% | 0.1 | 3.5% | 0.1 | 3% | 0.1 |
| Japan | 3.4% | 4.2 | 2.9% | 3.9 | 3.2% | 4.1 |
| Argentina | 3.2% | 1.4 | 3.4% | 1.5 | 3.6% | 1.5 |
| Tunisia | 3.2% | 0.4 | 3.2% | 0.4 | 3.7% | 0.4 |
| Mexico | 3.1% | 3.9 | 3.2% | 4 | 4.1% | 4.6 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3% | 1.1 | 4% | 1.3 | 7.8% | 2.3 |
| United Arab Emirates | 2.7% | 0.3 | 3.1% | 0.3 | 7.1% | 0.6 |
| China | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| United States | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Russia | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Turkey | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Germany | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| United Kingdom | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| France | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Italy | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| South Korea | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Spain | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Algeria | 2.5% | 2.5% | 4.1% | 1.5 | ||
| Canada | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Poland | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Uzbekistan | 2.5% | 2.5% | 3.6% | 1 | ||
| Malaysia | 2.5% | 2.5% | 3.5% | 1 | ||
| Australia | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Kazakhstan | 2.5% | 2.5% | 3.2% | 0.5 | ||
| Chile | 2.5% | 2.5% | 3.7% | 0.6 | ||
| Romania | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Netherlands | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Belgium | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 0.1 | ||
| Cuba | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Czech Republic | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Sweden | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Portugal | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Azerbaijan | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Greece | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Hungary | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Israel | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Austria | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Belarus | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Switzerland | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Hong Kong | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Bulgaria | 2.5% | 2.9% | 0.2 | 4.8% | 0.4 | |
| Serbia | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Denmark | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Finland | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Norway | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Ireland | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| New Zealand | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Costa Rica | 2.5% | 2.5% | 3% | 0.1 | ||
| Kuwait | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Croatia | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 0.1 | ||
| Mongolia | 2.5% | 0.3 | 4.3% | 0.1 | 17.1% | 0.5 |
| Uruguay | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Moldova | 2.5% | 2.5% | 12.5% | 0.5 | ||
| Armenia | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.7% | 0.1 | ||
| Lithuania | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Slovenia | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Latvia | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1.3 | ||
| North Macedonia | 2.5% | 3% | 0.1 | 3.6% | 0.1 | |
| Estonia | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Cyprus | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 0.1 | ||
| Guyana | 2.5% | 2.6% | 8.7% | 0.1 | ||
| Luxembourg | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Montenegro | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Malta | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Iceland | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | |||
| Seychelles | 2.5% | 2.5% | 3.8% | 0.1 | ||
| North Korea | - | - | 41.6 | - | 10.3 |
Which country has the highest rate of malnutrition?
Somalia currently has the highest malnutrition rate, with nearly 51.3% of its population suffering from malnutrition.