Prevalence of undernourishment in South Asia
South Asia: Prevalence of undernourishment was 11.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment in South Asia, 2001–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2023, prevalence of undernourishment in South Asia stood at 11.7%.
That represents a change of down 10.0% on the previous year and down 10.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in South Asia peaked at 20.8% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 10.5%, in 2018.
South Asia ranks 18th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 17.9% | — |
| 2002 | 19.1% | +6.9% |
| 2003 | 20.4% | +6.6% |
| 2004 | 20.8% | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 20.3% | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 18.4% | -9.3% |
| 2007 | 16.4% | -10.6% |
| 2008 | 15.4% | -6.6% |
| 2009 | 15.2% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 14.9% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 14.5% | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 13.7% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 13.1% | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 12.7% | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 12.2% | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 11.7% | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 10.7% | -8.3% |
| 2018 | 10.5% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 11.5% | +9.5% |
| 2020 | 12.8% | +12.0% |
| 2021 | 13.6% | +5.8% |
| 2022 | 13.0% | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 11.7% | -10.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.2% | 15.2% | 20.8% | 9 |
| 2010s | 12.5% | 10.5% | 14.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.8% | 11.7% | 13.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More health data for South Asia
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0067 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, per capita 0.0064 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0391 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 80 and above, female, annual growth rate 4.12 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0058 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 2.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 6.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, male, annual growth rate 4.5 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in South Asia?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in South Asia was 11.7% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 20.8% in 2004.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.5% in 2018.
- How does South Asia rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- South Asia ranks 18th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Asia 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 — 23 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%.