Pakistan Records Worst Hunger Performance in South Asia
Pakistan recorded the worst hunger performance in South Asia in the 2026 Global Hunger Index, as economic instability and climate disasters drive regional food insecurity.
The Global Hunger Index reported that Pakistan recorded the worst performance in South Asia in its 2026 assessment. The report, titled "No Security Without Food Security," indicates that hunger reduction across the region has largely stalled, with conditions in Pakistan and Afghanistan worsening since 2018. In Pakistan, undernourishment has risen from a low to a medium level, while child wasting is nearing the high category threshold.
Regional food insecurity is driven by economic instability, soaring food prices, international conflicts, and climate-related disasters. Extreme weather, including flooding in Pakistan and Bangladesh and high temperatures in Afghanistan, has severely hampered food production. The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 218 million people across South Asia, including Iran, suffered from undernourishment between 2023 and 2025.
Bangladesh ranks 84th among 122 countries with a score of 19.2, placing it in the moderate hunger category. While its long-term progress is described as "a generational achievement," recent gains have slowed sharply, improving by only 4 percent since 2018. Bangladesh has seen a significant rise in child wasting, which reached 12.9 percent, the highest level since 2000, though child stunting declined to 24 percent.
Within the region, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are classified as having serious hunger, while Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh remain in the moderate category.
