Share of people who are undernourished in Syria

Syria: Share of people who are undernourished was 39 percent in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
39 percent
Change on year
up 8.6%
World rank
5th
of 169 countries
All-time high
39 percent
in 2023
All-time low
5.4 percent
in 2009
Years of data
23
2001–2023

Share of people who are undernourished in Syria, 2001–2023

102030402001201220232001: 7.5 percent2002: 7.1 percent2003: 6.8 percent2004: 6.5 percent2005: 6.2 percent2006: 6 percent2007: 5.9 percent2008: 5.6 percent2009: 5.4 percent2010: 5.5 percent2011: 6.3 percent2012: 7.5 percent2013: 8.7 percent2014: 9.7 percent2015: 11.5 percent2016: 14.2 percent2017: 18.5 percent2018: 22.8 percent2019: 27.4 percent2020: 30.6 percent2021: 33.2 percent2022: 35.9 percent2023: 39 percent

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in percent.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of people who are undernourished in Syria is 39 percent, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.

That represents a change of up 8.6% on the previous year and up 348.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of people who are undernourished in Syria peaked at 39 percent in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5.4 percent, in 2009.

That places Syria 5th out of 169 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.33 percent 5.4 percent 7.5 percent 9
2010s 13.21 percent 5.5 percent 27.4 percent 10
2020s 34.67 percent 30.6 percent 39 percent 4

Countries ranked near Syria

  1. 2 Somalia 53.2 percent compare
  2. 3 North Korea 47 percent compare
  3. 4 Madagascar 39.5 percent compare
  4. 6 Democratic Republic of Congo 38.5 percent compare
  5. 7 Zambia 37.2 percent compare
  6. 8 Kenya 36.8 percent compare

See the full ranking of 169 places →

More reference data data for Syria

All data for Syria →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of people who are undernourished in Syria?
Share of people who are undernourished in Syria was 39 percent in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of people who are undernourished recorded in Syria?
The highest recorded value was 39 percent in 2023.
What is the lowest share of people who are undernourished recorded in Syria?
The lowest recorded value was 5.4 percent in 2009.
How does Syria rank for share of people who are undernourished?
Syria ranks 5th out of 169 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of people who are undernourished rising or falling in Syria?
Over the last ten years it is up 348.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Syria data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of people who are undernourished. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Share of people who are undernourished
Unit
percent
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
169 places, 3,850 data points, 2001–2023
Last refreshed

Share of the population whose daily food intake does not provide enough energy to maintain a normal, active, and healthy life.