Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in Syria
Syria: Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) was 40.8% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Prevalence of undernourishment in Syria, 2001–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Syria recorded 40.8% for prevalence of undernourishment in 2024. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 6.8% on the previous year and up 304.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Syria peaked at 40.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.4%, in 2009.
Syria ranks 6th of 171 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in Syria, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 7.5% | — |
| 2002 | 7.1% | -5.3% |
| 2003 | 6.8% | -4.2% |
| 2004 | 6.5% | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 6.2% | -4.6% |
| 2006 | 6.0% | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 5.9% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 5.6% | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 5.4% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 5.5% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 6.4% | +16.4% |
| 2012 | 7.7% | +20.3% |
| 2013 | 9.0% | +16.9% |
| 2014 | 10.1% | +12.2% |
| 2015 | 12.1% | +19.8% |
| 2016 | 14.8% | +22.3% |
| 2017 | 18.9% | +27.7% |
| 2018 | 23.3% | +23.3% |
| 2019 | 28.1% | +20.6% |
| 2020 | 31.3% | +11.4% |
| 2021 | 33.7% | +7.7% |
| 2022 | 35.5% | +5.3% |
| 2023 | 38.2% | +7.6% |
| 2024 | 40.8% | +6.8% |
Syria compared with similar countries
- Syria's 40.8% is above the median for low income countries, which is 23.6%, 1.7× the median. (22 countries reporting)
- Syria's 40.8% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 7.1%, 5.7× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.3% | 5.4% | 7.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 13.6% | 5.5% | 28.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.9% | 31.3% | 40.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Syria
- 3 North Korea 47.0% compare
- 4 Madagascar 41.8% compare
- 5 Zambia 41.0% compare
- 7 Democratic Republic of Congo 39.5% compare
- 8 Liberia 37.3% compare
- 9 Kenya 34.9% compare
More health data for Syria
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.1 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8632 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 1,491 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 7.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0503 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 7.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0528 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Syria?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Syria was 40.8% in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Syria?
- The highest recorded value was 40.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.4% in 2009.
- How does Syria rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Syria ranks 6th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 304.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Syria 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%.