Pakistan hunger index ranking has placed the country second-worst in South Asia according to the latest Global Hunger Index report for 2026. Only Afghanistan stands lower in the region, underlining serious food insecurity and nutrition problems across the nation.
The report gives Pakistan a GHI score of 25.5, which falls in the serious hunger category. Afghanistan scores 28.6, while the South Asia regional average sits at 23.5 and the worldwide average is 18.1. Pakistan ranks 106th out of 122 countries that have enough data for the 2026 calculation.
Long-term progress is visible. The country’s score has dropped from 36.2 in the year 2000 to the current 25.5, showing clear improvement over more than two decades. Still, the present figures remain worrying.
The Global Hunger Index measures four key indicators. Undernourishment covers the share of people who do not get enough calories. Child stunting looks at children under five who are too short for their age because of long-term poor nutrition. Child wasting tracks children under five who are too thin for their height due to sudden malnutrition. Child mortality counts how many children die before reaching the age of five.
According to the 2026 data, 16.1 percent of Pakistan’s population is malnourished. Among children under five, 33.6 percent are stunted and 9.8 percent are wasted. The under-five mortality rate stands at 5.6 percent.
These numbers arrive shortly after the International Monetary Fund warned that inflation in Pakistan is expected to climb to 9.9 percent in the fiscal year 2026-27. The same report projected inflation would rise from 7.1 percent in the previous year.
The combination of high malnutrition rates and rising food prices continues to put pressure on households, especially those already struggling. Experts note that floods, economic challenges and limited access to nutritious food all play a role in keeping hunger levels elevated.
While the long-term drop in the GHI score offers some hope, the latest ranking shows that much work remains. Stronger policies on food security, child nutrition and poverty reduction will be needed to move Pakistan further down the hunger scale in coming years.
