Prevalence of undernourishment in Iran

Iran: Prevalence of undernourishment was 6.8 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
6.8
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
72nd
of 169 countries
All-time high
9.5
in 2011
All-time low
4.9
in 2001
Years of data
23
2001–2023

Prevalence of undernourishment in Iran, 2001–2023

02468102001201220232001: 4.92002: 5.22003: 5.52004: 5.92005: 6.42006: 6.92007: 7.42008: 7.92009: 8.42010: 9.42011: 9.52012: 9.22013: 82014: 7.62015: 7.42016: 7.72017: 82018: 82019: 7.72020: 6.92021: 6.82022: 6.72023: 6.8

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for prevalence of undernourishment in Iran is 6.8, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 15.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Iran peaked at 9.5 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 4.9, in 2001.

That places Iran 72nd out of 169 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

Prevalence of undernourishment in Iran, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of undernourishment in Iran, 2001 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2001 4.9 —
2002 5.2 +6.1%
2003 5.5 +5.8%
2004 5.9 +7.3%
2005 6.4 +8.5%
2006 6.9 +7.8%
2007 7.4 +7.2%
2008 7.9 +6.8%
2009 8.4 +6.3%
2010 9.4 +11.9%
2011 9.5 +1.1%
2012 9.2 -3.2%
2013 8 -13.0%
2014 7.6 -5.0%
2015 7.4 -2.6%
2016 7.7 +4.1%
2017 8 +3.9%
2018 8 +0.0%
2019 7.7 -3.7%
2020 6.9 -10.4%
2021 6.8 -1.4%
2022 6.7 -1.5%
2023 6.8 +1.5%

Iran compared with similar countries

  • Iran's 6.8 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.45, 1.5× the median. (50 countries reporting)
  • Iran's 6.8 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 7, 97% of the median. (19 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.5 4.9 8.4 9
2010s 8.25 7.4 9.5 10
2020s 6.8 6.7 6.9 4

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 70 Peru 6.9 compare
  2. 70 Ukraine 6.9 compare
  3. 72 Fiji 6.8 compare
  4. 74 El Salvador 6.7 compare
  5. 75 Ghana 6.3 compare
  6. 75 Indonesia 6.3 compare

See the full ranking of 169 places →

More reference data data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of undernourishment in Iran?
Prevalence of undernourishment in Iran was 6.8 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Iran?
The highest recorded value was 9.5 in 2011.
What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 4.9 in 2001.
How does Iran rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
Iran ranks 72nd out of 169 countries with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iran data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of undernourishment in Iran. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 14 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-undernourishment/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of undernourishment
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
169 places, 3,850 data points, 2001–2023
Last refreshed