Prevalence of undernourishment (%) in Pakistan
Pakistan: Prevalence of undernourishment (%) was 16.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment in Pakistan, 2001–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
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 42nd out of 140 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment (%) in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | 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. (41 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 16.1% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 11.1%, 1.5× the median. (15 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 development goals data for Pakistan
- Red List Index 0.8914 (2025)
- Number of refugees per 100,000 population, by country of origin 34.64 (2025)
- Manufacturing value added per capita 161.44 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds 31 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds (not extinct) 31 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds with unknown risk status 31 (2025)
- Number of local breeds with unknown risk status 104 (2025)
- Number of local breeds (not extinct) 104 (2025)
- Number of local breeds kept in the country 105 (2025)
- Infant deaths 329,205 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Pakistan?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Pakistan was 16.1% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- 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 42nd out of 140 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 United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).