Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in El Salvador

El Salvador: Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) was 5.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
5.3%
Change on year
down 11.7%
World rank
79th
of 171 countries
All-time high
9.7%
in 2008
All-time low
5.3%
in 2024
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Prevalence of undernourishment in El Salvador, 2001–2024

02468102001201220242001: 7 % of population2002: 6.9 % of population2003: 7.6 % of population2004: 8.4 % of population2005: 8.9 % of population2006: 9.2 % of population2007: 9.4 % of population2008: 9.7 % of population2009: 9.4 % of population2010: 9 % of population2011: 8.5 % of population2012: 8.6 % of population2013: 8.8 % of population2014: 8.9 % of population2015: 8.6 % of population2016: 8 % of population2017: 7.1 % of population2018: 6.4 % of population2019: 6.4 % of population2020: 6.2 % of population2021: 6.4 % of population2022: 6.2 % of population2023: 6 % of population2024: 5.3 % of population

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.

Analysis

El Salvador recorded 5.3% for prevalence of undernourishment in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.

The figure is down 11.7% on the previous year and down 40.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in El Salvador peaked at 9.7% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2024.

El Salvador ranks 79th of 171 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in El Salvador, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in El Salvador, 2001 to 2024.
Year % of population Change
2001 7.0% —
2002 6.9% -1.4%
2003 7.6% +10.1%
2004 8.4% +10.5%
2005 8.9% +6.0%
2006 9.2% +3.4%
2007 9.4% +2.2%
2008 9.7% +3.2%
2009 9.4% -3.1%
2010 9.0% -4.3%
2011 8.5% -5.6%
2012 8.6% +1.2%
2013 8.8% +2.3%
2014 8.9% +1.1%
2015 8.6% -3.4%
2016 8.0% -7.0%
2017 7.1% -11.3%
2018 6.4% -9.9%
2019 6.4% +0.0%
2020 6.2% -3.1%
2021 6.4% +3.2%
2022 6.2% -3.1%
2023 6.0% -3.2%
2024 5.3% -11.7%

El Salvador compared with similar countries

  • El Salvador's 5.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.1%, 1.3× the median. (50 countries reporting)
  • El Salvador's 5.3% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 4.6%, 1.2× the median. (28 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 8.5% 6.9% 9.7% 9
2010s 8.0% 6.4% 9.0% 10
2020s 6.0% 5.3% 6.4% 5

Countries ranked near El Salvador

  1. 76 Peru 5.7% compare
  2. 77 Albania 5.6% compare
  3. 78 Thailand 5.4% compare
  4. 79 Senegal 5.3% compare
  5. 79 Venezuela 5.3% compare
  6. 82 Nepal 5.2% compare

See the full ranking of 218 places →

More health data for El Salvador

All data for El Salvador →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of undernourishment in El Salvador?
Prevalence of undernourishment in El Salvador was 5.3% in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in El Salvador?
The highest recorded value was 9.7% in 2008.
What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in El Salvador?
The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2024.
How does El Salvador rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
El Salvador ranks 79th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in El Salvador?
Over the last ten years it is down 40.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this El Salvador data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of undernourishment in El Salvador. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-undernourishment-percent-of-population/el-salvador/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population)
Unit
% of population
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
218 places, 5,187 data points, 2001–2024
Last refreshed

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%.