Statizoid

Number of people who are undernourished by country

Undernourishment is measured as having a caloric intake that is insufficient to meet the minimum energy requirements necessary for a given individual.

Countries reporting
131
Highest
172.10 million millions
India
Lowest
100,000 millions
Samoa
Median
900,000 millions
Years covered
23
2001–2023
Data points
2,706

What the numbers show

Number of people who are undernourished is currently reported for 131 countries. The highest value is 172.10 million millions in India; the lowest is 100,000 millions in Samoa.

The median across all reporting countries is 900,000 millions, and the mean is 5.25 million millions.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 1,721.

Over the past decade 56 countries rose and 42 fell. The largest increase was in Syria (up 384.2%), and the largest decrease in Moldova (down 91.7%).

Number of people who are undernourished: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 India 172.10 million millions 2023 up 3.4% falling
2 Nigeria 45.40 million millions 2023 up 119.3% rising
3 Pakistan 40.90 million millions 2023 up 31.5% rising
4 Democratic Republic of Congo 40.70 million millions 2023 up 74.7% rising
5 China 38.50 million millions 2009 down 69.8% falling
6 Ethiopia 25.40 million millions 2023 up 46.0% falling
7 Kenya 20.40 million millions 2023 up 140.0% rising
8 Bangladesh 17.90 million millions 2023 down 31.7% falling
9 Indonesia 17.70 million millions 2023 down 16.9% falling
10 Tanzania 13.40 million millions 2023 up 30.1% rising
11 Madagascar 12.30 million millions 2023 up 68.5% rising
12 North Korea 12.20 million millions 2018 up 22.0% rising
13 Afghanistan 11.70 million millions 2023 up 91.8% rising
14 Egypt 10.80 million millions 2023 up 86.2% rising
15 Uganda 10.70 million millions 2023 up 42.7% rising
16 Somalia 9.80 million millions 2023 up 19.5% rising
17 Syria 9.20 million millions 2023 up 384.2% volatile
18 Angola 8.30 million millions 2023 up 137.1% falling
19 Zambia 7.70 million millions 2023 up 28.3% rising
20 Mozambique 7.30 million millions 2023 up 10.6% rising
21 Brazil 6.70 million millions 2022 up 26.4% falling
21 Iraq 6.70 million millions 2023 up 28.8% rising
23 Haiti 6.30 million millions 2023 up 57.5% rising
23 South Africa 6.30 million millions 2023 up 103.2% rising
25 Iran 6.20 million millions 2023 down 3.1% rising
25 Chad 6.20 million millions 2023 up 87.9% rising
27 Sudan 5.30 million millions 2021 up 60.6% rising
27 Vietnam 5.30 million millions 2023 down 30.3% falling
29 Malawi 4.50 million millions 2023 up 87.5% rising
30 Cote d'Ivoire 3.50 million millions 2023 down 5.4% falling
30 Mexico 3.50 million millions 2023 down 20.5% rising
32 Niger 3.40 million millions 2023 up 25.9% rising
32 Philippines 3.40 million millions 2023 down 75.5% falling
32 Rwanda 3.40 million millions 2023 down 15.0% rising
35 Thailand 3.30 million millions 2023 down 45.9% falling
36 Zimbabwe 3.20 million millions 2023 down 27.3% rising
37 Burkina Faso 3.00 million millions 2023 up 25.0% rising
37 Papua New Guinea 3.00 million millions 2023 up 30.4% rising
39 Mali 2.90 million millions 2023 up 222.2% rising
39 Myanmar 2.90 million millions 2023 down 9.4% volatile
41 Bolivia 2.70 million millions 2023 up 42.1% falling
41 Ukraine 2.70 million millions 2023 up 125.0% rising
43 Morocco 2.60 million millions 2023 up 85.7% rising
44 Peru 2.30 million millions 2023 up 35.3% falling
44 Turkey 2.30 million millions 2008 down 73.3% falling
46 Ecuador 2.20 million millions 2023 up 57.1% falling
47 Ghana 2.10 million millions 2023 down 4.5% falling
47 Guatemala 2.10 million millions 2023 down 12.5% falling
49 Benin 2.00 million millions 2023 up 100.0% rising
49 Colombia 2.00 million millions 2023 down 39.4% falling
49 Liberia 2.00 million millions 2023 up 25.0% rising
49 Sierra Leone 2.00 million millions 2023 up 25.0% falling
53 Sri Lanka 1.70 million millions 2023 down 10.5% falling
53 Venezuela 1.70 million millions 2023 up 41.7% volatile
55 Central African Republic 1.60 million millions 2023 up 14.3% flat
55 Congo 1.60 million millions 2023 unchanged rising
55 Guinea 1.60 million millions 2023 unchanged flat
55 Honduras 1.60 million millions 2023 up 33.3% rising
55 Jordan 1.60 million millions 2023 up 128.6% volatile
55 Nepal 1.60 million millions 2023 down 33.3% falling
61 Argentina 1.50 million millions 2023 up 7.1% rising
62 Cameroon 1.40 million millions 2023 up 55.6% falling
63 Libya 1.20 million millions 2023 up 100.0% volatile
63 Nicaragua 1.20 million millions 2022 up 20.0% falling
65 Algeria 1.00 million millions 2017 down 44.4% falling
66 Cambodia 900,000 millions 2023 down 30.8% falling
66 Malaysia 900,000 millions 2020 down 10.0% rising
66 Senegal 900,000 millions 2023 down 40.0% falling
66 Tajikistan 900,000 millions 2023 down 47.1% falling
66 Taiwan 900,000 millions 2023 down 18.2% falling
71 Saudi Arabia 800,000 millions 2014 down 11.1% falling
71 Togo 800,000 millions 2023 down 42.9% falling
71 Uzbekistan 800,000 millions 2011 down 83.3% volatile
74 Botswana 600,000 millions 2023 up 50.0% rising
74 Gabon 600,000 millions 2023 up 200.0% rising
76 Chile 500,000 millions 2023 down 16.7% rising
76 Gambia 500,000 millions 2023 up 150.0% rising
76 Guinea-Bissau 500,000 millions 2023 unchanged rising
76 Lebanon 500,000 millions 2023 up 66.7% rising
76 Namibia 500,000 millions 2023 unchanged rising
81 Dominican Republic 400,000 millions 2023 down 55.6% falling
81 Kazakhstan 400,000 millions 2013 down 63.6% falling
81 Kyrgyzstan 400,000 millions 2023 unchanged falling
81 Mauritania 400,000 millions 2023 up 100.0% rising
81 Paraguay 400,000 millions 2023 up 100.0% falling
81 El Salvador 400,000 millions 2023 down 33.3% falling
81 Tunisia 400,000 millions 2023 up 33.3% falling
88 Azerbaijan 300,000 millions 2006 down 80.0% falling
88 Belarus 300,000 millions 2005 — flat
88 Oman 300,000 millions 2023 unchanged rising
88 Panama 300,000 millions 2023 unchanged falling
88 Turkmenistan 300,000 millions 2023 up 50.0% rising
88 East Timor 300,000 millions 2023 up 50.0% falling
94 Albania 200,000 millions 2023 up 100.0% falling
94 United Arab Emirates 200,000 millions 2020 down 50.0% rising
94 Bulgaria 200,000 millions 2020 down 50.0% falling
94 Hong Kong 200,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
94 Jamaica 200,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
94 Solomon Islands 200,000 millions 2023 up 100.0% rising
94 Serbia 200,000 millions 2005 — falling
94 Slovakia 200,000 millions 2023 down 33.3% falling
94 Eswatini 200,000 millions 2023 unchanged rising
94 Trinidad and Tobago 200,000 millions 2023 up 100.0% rising
104 Armenia 100,000 millions 2009 down 88.9% volatile
104 Belize 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Barbados 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Comoros 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Cape Verde 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Costa Rica 100,000 millions 2014 down 50.0% falling
104 Cyprus 100,000 millions 2007 unchanged flat
104 Djibouti 100,000 millions 2023 down 50.0% falling
104 Dominica 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Fiji 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Georgia 100,000 millions 2022 down 66.7% falling
104 Guyana 100,000 millions 2020 unchanged flat
104 Croatia 100,000 millions 2011 down 80.0% volatile
104 Kiribati 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Macao 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Moldova 100,000 millions 2016 down 91.7% volatile
104 North Macedonia 100,000 millions 2021 unchanged flat
104 Montenegro 100,000 millions 2006 unchanged flat
104 Mongolia 100,000 millions 2021 down 75.0% volatile
104 Mauritius 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 New Caledonia 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 French Polynesia 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Sao Tome and Principe 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Suriname 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Seychelles 100,000 millions 2019 unchanged flat
104 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Vanuatu 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat
104 Samoa 100,000 millions 2023 unchanged flat

About this data

Indicator
Number of people who are undernourished
Unit
millions
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
131 places, 2,706 data points, 2001–2023
Last refreshed

Undernourishment is measured as having a caloric intake that is insufficient to meet the minimum energy requirements necessary for a given individual.