Number of people who are undernourished in China

China: Number of people who are undernourished was 38.50 million in 2009. ▼ Falling

Latest (2009)
38.50 million
Change on year
down 25.5%
World rank
5th
of 130 countries
All-time high
127.30 million
in 2001
All-time low
38.50 million
in 2009
Years of data
9
2001–2009

Number of people who are undernourished in China, 2001–2009

40.0M60.0M80.0M100.0M120.0M2001200520092001: 127.3M2002: 120.2M2003: 111.3M2004: 101.5M2005: 90.6M2006: 78.8M2007: 65.3M2008: 51.7M2009: 38.5M

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization (http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home).

Analysis

China recorded 38.50 million for number of people who are undernourished in 2009. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.

That represents a change of down 25.5% on the previous year and down 69.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of people who are undernourished in China peaked at 127.30 million in 2001 and was at its lowest, 38.50 million, in 2009.

That places China 5th out of 130 countries with data for 2009, putting it in the top 10%.

Number of people who are undernourished in China, year by year

Annual values for Number of people who are undernourished in China, 2001 to 2009.
Year Value Change
2001 127.30 million
2002 120.20 million -5.6%
2003 111.30 million -7.4%
2004 101.50 million -8.8%
2005 90.60 million -10.7%
2006 78.80 million -13.0%
2007 65.30 million -17.1%
2008 51.70 million -20.8%
2009 38.50 million -25.5%

Countries ranked near China

  1. 2 Nigeria 45.40 million compare
  2. 3 Pakistan 40.90 million compare
  3. 4 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 40.70 million compare
  4. 6 Ethiopia 25.40 million compare
  5. 7 Kenya 20.40 million compare
  6. 8 Bangladesh 17.90 million compare

See the full ranking of 172 places →

More health data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of people who are undernourished in China?
Number of people who are undernourished in China was 38.50 million in 2009, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home).
What is the highest number of people who are undernourished recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 127.30 million in 2001.
What is the lowest number of people who are undernourished recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 38.50 million in 2009.
How does China rank for number of people who are undernourished?
China ranks 5th out of 130 countries with data for 2009.
Is number of people who are undernourished rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 69.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization (http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home), published as part of Number of people who are undernourished. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of people who are undernourished in China. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization (http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home). Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-people-who-are-undernourished/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of people who are undernourished
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization (http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
172 places, 3,649 data points, 2001–2023
Last refreshed

Number of people who are undernourished shows the number of people whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life.