Kathmandu, Oct 25: Nepal has made slight progress in tackling hunger, ranking 72nd among 122 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2026, released on Saturday.
Nepal scored 14.5 out of 100, down from 14.8 in 2025, indicating a modest improvement. The country remains in the moderate hunger category.
Nepal’s hunger score stood at 37.1 in 2000, placing it in the serious hunger category. Since then, the country has made gradual progress in nutrition and food security. Its score improved to 18.4 in 2018 before reaching 14.7 in 2024 and rising slightly to 14.8 in 2025. A lower score indicates a better situation.
Among South Asian countries, Sri Lanka ranked 53rd with a score of 10.2, followed by Bangladesh at 84th with 19.2, India at 100th with 24.1 and Pakistan at 106th with 25.5. Afghanistan ranked 108th.
South Asia recorded an average hunger score of 23.5, well above the global average of 18.1, reflecting persistent challenges related to hunger, malnutrition and food security.
The GHI measures hunger using four indicators: the proportion of the population with insufficient calorie intake, stunting among children under five, wasting among children under five and the mortality rate of children before their fifth birthday. A declining score indicates improvement in overall hunger levels.
Nepal has made notable progress in reducing child stunting. The proportion of children under five affected by stunting fell from 55.9 percent in 2000 to 26.2 percent in 2026, a decline of 29.7 percentage points.
Despite these gains, the report identifies nutrition and food security as areas requiring further improvement. Malnutrition remains a major public health challenge, linked to changes in agricultural practices, food production, food systems and consumption patterns.
Climate change, biodiversity loss and migration also make it harder for vulnerable and marginalised communities to access adequate food, the report notes.
Information and Broadcasting Department Regd. No. 2065/077/78
Pipalbot, (Way to Ghattekulo) Dillibazar, Kathmandu, Nepal
Editor-in-Chief: Pushpa Raj Pradhan Consultant Editor Emeritus: Mana Ranjan Josse Contributing Editor: Prof Dr Shashi P.B.B. Malla Managing Editor: Sushma Shrestha Chief Reporter: B.N. Dahal Legal Consultant: Bachu Singh Khadka Computer Layout: Shankar Aryal
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