# Global Hunger Index 2026: Pakistan scores 25.5, the worst in South Asia, as child wasting rises

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/health/global-hunger-index-2026-pakistan-scores-255-the-worst-in-south-asia-as-child)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 15 Oct 2026
Updated: 15 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 15 Oct 2026

> Pakistan is still in the 'serious' band, but undernourishment has climbed since 2018 and child wasting is nearing the high threshold, the 2026 report says.

Pakistan has the **highest hunger score in South Asia** in the **Global Hunger Index 2026**, released on Wednesday. Its score is **25.5**, which puts it in the **"serious"** category (20.0 to 34.9), against a South Asian average of **23.5** and a world score of **18.1**, according to the [index's Pakistan page](https://www.globalhungerindex.org/pakistan.html). A higher score means more hunger; 0 is best.

The report is published by the German aid group Welthungerhilfe, Ruhr University Bochum's Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict and the Swiss organisation Helvetas, under the theme "No Security Without Food Security", [Dawn reported](https://www.dawn.com/news/2037222/pakistan-worst-hit-by-hunger-in-south-asia).

## Pakistan's score over time

| Year | Pakistan's score | Category |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2000 | 36.2 | Alarming |
| 2026 | 25.5 | Serious |

The long-run drop of almost 11 points is real, but most of the progress in South Asia came before 2018. Since then, two of Pakistan's four indicators have moved the wrong way.

## What the four indicators show

- **Undernourishment** (people not getting enough calories): rose from a **low** level in 2018 to **medium**.
- **Child wasting** (children too thin for their height, a sign of acute hunger): rising towards the **high** threshold.
- **Child stunting** (children too short for their age, a sign of long-term poor nutrition): **very high**, though falling.
- **Under-5 mortality:** down from very high in 2000 to **medium**.

The report links part of the recent pressure to the weather: floods and heavy rains caused localised crop losses in parts of Pakistan and Bangladesh this year. The UN's FAO estimates that 218 million people in South Asia, counting Iran, were undernourished between 2023 and 2025, about a third of the world total.

## The rest of the world

The world score has worsened, from 17.6 in 2018 to 18.1 now. Hunger has risen in **32 countries** since 2018, and **57 countries** are on track to miss even a "low" hunger level by 2030, the report says. Afghanistan, like Pakistan, has moved from alarming to serious since 2000.

## What it means at home

The index uses survey data that lags by a few years, so it does not yet fully show this year's flood losses or the latest food prices. Two things a household feels directly are the price of flour and the price of milk and meat. With [CPI inflation at 10.3% in September](/data/cpi-yoy), food takes a bigger share of a family budget than a year ago. Families with children under five can get free growth and nutrition checks at government Basic Health Units and Lady Health Workers' visits, and BISP's Nashonuma programme pays mothers and young children who attend nutrition sessions; check eligibility at the nearest BISP office.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is Pakistan's Global Hunger Index score in 2026?**

Pakistan scores 25.5 in the 2026 Global Hunger Index, in the 'serious' category and the highest score in South Asia, whose regional average is 23.5.

## Sources

- Pakistan: Global Hunger Index 2026 (Global Hunger Index): https://www.globalhungerindex.org/pakistan.html
- Pakistan worst hit by hunger in South Asia (Dawn): https://www.dawn.com/news/2037222/pakistan-worst-hit-by-hunger-in-south-asia

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