Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in Pakistan
Pakistan: Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) was 16.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment in Pakistan, 2001–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 16.1% for prevalence of undernourishment in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.3% on the previous year and up 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Pakistan peaked at 21.0% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 10.9%, in 2018.
That places Pakistan 38th out of 171 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 20.4% | — |
| 2002 | 21.0% | +2.9% |
| 2003 | 20.2% | -3.8% |
| 2004 | 18.3% | -9.4% |
| 2005 | 16.9% | -7.7% |
| 2006 | 15.7% | -7.1% |
| 2007 | 15.1% | -3.8% |
| 2008 | 15.1% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 15.4% | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 15.5% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 15.5% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 15.1% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 14.8% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 14.3% | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 13.3% | -7.0% |
| 2016 | 11.5% | -13.5% |
| 2017 | 11.7% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 10.9% | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 12.9% | +18.3% |
| 2020 | 13.3% | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 16.4% | +23.3% |
| 2022 | 16.7% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 17.0% | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 16.1% | -5.3% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 16.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.1%, 1.5× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 16.1% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 7.1%, 2.3× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.6% | 15.1% | 21.0% | 9 |
| 2010s | 13.6% | 10.9% | 15.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.9% | 13.3% | 17.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More health data for Pakistan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.14 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8219 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 55,286 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 335 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5028 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0616 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.4109 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0643 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Pakistan?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Pakistan was 16.1% in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 21.0% in 2002.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.9% in 2018.
- How does Pakistan rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Pakistan ranks 38th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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%.