Prevalence of undernourishment (%) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Prevalence of undernourishment (%) was 27.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment in Afghanistan, 2001–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of undernourishment in Afghanistan stood at 27.8%.
That represents a change of down 6.4% on the previous year and up 44.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Afghanistan peaked at 45.8% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 17.6%, in 2009.
That places Afghanistan 14th out of 140 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment (%) in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 45.8% | — |
| 2002 | 43.5% | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 38.7% | -11.0% |
| 2004 | 34.6% | -10.6% |
| 2005 | 30.6% | -11.6% |
| 2006 | 26.6% | -13.1% |
| 2007 | 22.7% | -14.7% |
| 2008 | 19.7% | -13.2% |
| 2009 | 17.6% | -10.7% |
| 2010 | 17.7% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 18.6% | +5.1% |
| 2012 | 19.7% | +5.9% |
| 2013 | 19.4% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 19.3% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 19.9% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 20.5% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 21.5% | +4.9% |
| 2018 | 23.0% | +7.0% |
| 2019 | 24.9% | +8.3% |
| 2020 | 28.9% | +16.1% |
| 2021 | 31.0% | +7.3% |
| 2022 | 32.0% | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 29.7% | -7.2% |
| 2024 | 27.8% | -6.4% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 27.8% is above the median for low income countries, which is 22.5%, 1.2× the median. (20 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 27.8% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 11.1%, 2.5× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 31.1% | 17.6% | 45.8% | 9 |
| 2010s | 20.4% | 17.7% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.9% | 27.8% | 32.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 11 Chad 33.6% compare
- 12 Papua New Guinea 30.5% compare
- 13 Central African Republic 29.8% compare
- 15 Solomon Islands 27.0% compare
- 16 Melanesia 26.9% compare
- 17 Sierra Leone 25.3% compare
More development goals data for Afghanistan
- Red List Index 0.9237 (2025)
- Number of refugees per 100,000 population, by country of origin 9,820 (2025)
- Manufacturing value added per capita 27.99 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds 9 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds (not extinct) 9 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds with unknown risk status 9 (2025)
- Number of local breeds with unknown risk status 37 (2025)
- Number of local breeds (not extinct) 37 (2025)
- Number of local breeds kept in the country 37 (2025)
- Infant deaths 70,975 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Afghanistan?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Afghanistan was 27.8% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 45.8% in 2001.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.6% in 2009.
- How does Afghanistan rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Afghanistan ranks 14th out of 140 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).