Note: Data for GHI scores, child stunting, and child wasting are from 1998–2002 (2000), 2006–2010 (2008), 2013–2017 (2015), and 2018–2022 (2023). Data for undernourishment are from 2000–2002 (2000), 2007–2009 (2008), 2014–2016 (2015), and 2020–2022 (2023). Data for child mortality are from 2000, 2008, 2015, and 2021 (2023). See Appendix A for the formula for calculating GHI scores and Appendix C for the sources from which the data are compiled.
The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool for comprehensively measuring and tracking hunger at global, regional, and national levels. GHI scores are based on the values of four component indicators:
Undernourishment: the share of the population with insufficient caloric intake.
Child stunting: the share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.
Child wasting: the share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.
Child mortality: the share of children who die before their fifth birthday, partly reflecting the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments.
Based on the values of the four indicators, a GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale reflecting the severity of hunger, where 0 is the best possible score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst. Each country’s GHI score is classified by severity, from low to extremely alarming.
