KATHMANDU, Oct 24: Nepal has made substantial progress in reducing hunger and child malnutrition over the past two decades, with its Global Hunger Index (GHI) score declining to 14.5 in 2026 from 37 in 2000. However, persistent undernourishment and child malnutrition remain major challenges despite the improvement.
According to the latest country profile published by the Global Hunger Index, Nepal ranks 72nd among 122 countries for which sufficient data are available to calculate scores for 2026. The country falls within the moderate hunger category, indicating that, while the overall situation has improved considerably, hunger and undernutrition have not been eliminated.
The Global Hunger Index report launched on October 14 shows that Nepal's score has declined steadily over the years, from 37 in 2000 to 30.8 in 2006, 24.4 in 2012 and 18.4 in 2018, before reaching 14.5 in 2026. The long-term decline points to significant progress in improving food security and nutrition.
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The improvement is particularly evident in child stunting, a condition in which children are too short for their age because of chronic undernutrition and other factors affecting growth. The proportion of children under five affected by stunting has fallen from 55.9 percent in 2000 to 26.2 percent in 2026, a reduction of 29.7 percentage points.
Nevertheless, more than one in four children under five still experience stunted growth, highlighting the continuing challenge of ensuring adequate nutrition during early childhood.
The latest index identifies four indicators that determine Nepal's hunger score: undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and under-five mortality.
An estimated 5.2 percent of Nepal's population is undernourished, meaning that they do not consume enough dietary energy to maintain a normal, active and healthy life. Meanwhile, 6.6 percent of children under five suffer from wasting, a condition in which children have low weight for their height, often associated with recent or acute undernutrition.
The under-five mortality rate stands at 2.5 percent, indicating that child survival remains another important dimension of the country's overall hunger and nutrition situation.
The indicators show that progress in reducing hunger cannot be measured solely by the availability of food. Improving the quality of diets, ensuring access to essential nutrients, strengthening maternal and child healthcare, and preventing both chronic and acute malnutrition are equally important to achieving lasting improvements.