South Asia (IDA & IBRD): Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, South Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) fell 1.55 percentage points on 2023 (from 11.04% to 9.49%).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was −0.31 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.95 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.26 percentage points in 2003 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.96 percentage points in 2007. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 6% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

Prevalence of undernourishment is the percentage of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life. Data showing as 2.5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 2.5%.

Limitations: The prevalence of undernourishment is a model-based estimate, and its reliability depends on the quality of the data used to estimate the model parameters. Measurement errors may affect estimates of dietary energy consumption derived from household surveys and Food Balance Sheets. Because of the probabilistic nature of the estimation and uncertainty associated with the model parameters, the precision of PoU estimates is generally low. National-level PoU point estimates are available only when they exceed 2.5 percent.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 24 values

Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 27.8% (2024)
• Algeria — 2.5% (2024)
• Djibouti — 14.7% (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 8.4% (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 6.7% (2024)
• Iraq — 13.4% (2024)
• Israel — 2.5% (2024)
• Jordan — 12.2% (2024)
• Kuwait — 2.5% (2024)
• Lebanon

More health data for South Asia (IDA & IBRD)

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 7.86% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 8.01% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 199.83 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 24.2% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 216.21 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 24.95% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 416.05 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 24.59% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is South Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s prevalence of undernourishment (% of population)?

9.49% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2001?

It is down 8.41 percentage points from 17.9% in 2001. The highest value was 20.77% in 2004 and the lowest 9.49% in 2024.

Is the latest change in prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) unusual for South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?

In 2024, South Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) fell 1.55 percentage points on 2023 (from 11.04% to 9.49%). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was −0.31 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.95 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SN.ITK.DEFC.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), uri: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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