Pakistan has the second-highest hunger score in South Asia, behind only Afghanistan, according to the 2026 Global Hunger Index (GHI), which classifies hunger in the country as serious.
Pakistan scored 25.5 out of 100 and ranked 106th among 122 countries with sufficient data, highlighting persistent food insecurity and child malnutrition.
Pakistan’s hunger score has improved significantly over the longer term, falling from 36.2 in 2000 to 25.5 in 2026. However, the report shows that the score rose from 24.0 in 2018 to 25.5 in 2026, making Pakistan one of only two South Asian countries, alongside Afghanistan, where hunger has worsened since 2018.
The report puts Pakistan’s undernourishment rate at 16.1 percent, meaning that this share of the population does not receive enough calories. Among children under five, 33.6 percent are stunted, reflecting chronic undernutrition, while 9.8 percent suffer from wasting, an indicator of acute undernutrition. The under-five mortality rate stands at 5.6 percent.
The report links Pakistan’s food security challenges to economic instability, the lasting effects of sharp food price increases and climate-related shocks. Heavy monsoon rains and flash floods in 2025 affected more than six million people and damaged farmland and infrastructure, while reduced household purchasing power has constrained access to food.