Summary Pakistan ranks 106th globally on the 2026 Global Hunger Index, with widespread undernourishment, child stunting, wasting and persistent food insecurity challenges.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Around 16.1% of Pakistan’s population is undernourished, while 33.6% of children under the age of five suffer from stunted growth, according to a new report by Global Hunger Index (GHI).
Pakistan ranked 106th out of 122 countries assessed in the report, highlighting the country’s continuing challenges related to food insecurity and malnutrition.
“With a 2026 Global Hunger Index score of 25.5, Pakistan has a serious level of hunger,” according to the report published on the GHI website.
Pakistan recorded the second-highest hunger score in South Asia, behind Afghanistan, which scored 28.6. The regional GHI score stood at 23.5, compared with the global score of 18.1.
However, Pakistan’s score has improved over the long term, declining from 36.2 in 2000 to 25.5 in 2026, the report stated.
The GHI score is calculated using four indicators: undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality.
Undernourishment measures the proportion of the population whose calorie intake is insufficient. Child stunting refers to children under five who have low height for their age, indicating chronic undernutrition.
Child wasting measures the proportion of children under five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition. Child mortality measures the proportion of children who die before reaching their fifth birthday.
According to the report, 9.8% of children under five in Pakistan suffer from wasting, while 5.6% of children die before reaching the age of five.
The report comes days after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected Pakistan’s inflation rate to rise to 9.9% in the fiscal year 2026-27.
In its World Economic Outlook report released on Tuesday, the IMF projected inflation to increase from 7.1% in fiscal year 2025-26 to 9.9% in the current fiscal year.
