Bangladesh ranked 84th in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2026, scoring 19.2 and remaining in the “moderate” hunger category, as child undernutrition continues to pose a significant public health challenge despite progress in reducing stunting over the past 2 decades.
The index shows that 8.2% of Bangladesh’s population is undernourished, while 24% of children under 5 suffer from stunting, or low height for their age.
Another 12.9% of children under 5 experience wasting, or low weight for their height, and 3% of children die before reaching the age of 5.
Bangladesh performed better than India and Pakistan but lagged behind Nepal in the regional comparison.
India ranked 100th with a score of 24.1, while Pakistan placed 106th with 25.5, putting both countries in the “serious” hunger category. Nepal ranked 72nd with a score of 14.5, remaining in the “moderate” category.
A lower GHI score indicates lower levels of hunger and undernutrition, although rankings also depend on the performance of other countries included in the assessment.
One of Bangladesh’s most notable achievements is the reduction in child stunting over the past 2 decades.
The proportion of children under 5 affected by stunting fell from 54.9% in 2000 to 24% in the latest assessment, a decline of 30.9 percentage points.
However, the continued prevalence of wasting among nearly 13% of children under 5 highlights the need to address both chronic and acute malnutrition.
Stunting reflects long-term nutritional deprivation and can affect physical growth, cognitive development and educational outcomes. Wasting, meanwhile, is associated with inadequate nutrition and illness and can increase the risk of death among young children.
Public health experts say improvements in food availability alone are not enough to eliminate malnutrition. Dietary diversity, maternal nutrition, access to safe water and sanitation, health care services and household purchasing power also play crucial roles.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Dr Mehbuba Nur Protha, district technical coordinator at FIVDB, said: “Although Bangladesh has made significant progress in reducing child stunting, the high prevalence of child wasting remains a serious concern, which underscores the need to strengthen maternal and child health and nutrition services at primary health care centers, ensure access to affordable, diverse diets, and improve access to safe water, sanitation, and health care, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized communities.”
The findings come amid wider concerns over the impact of economic pressures, climate-related disasters and disruptions to food systems on household food security.
For low-income families, rising food prices can make it difficult to maintain a balanced diet, even when staple foods remain available. Households may prioritize rice and other inexpensive staples over protein-rich foods, fruits, vegetables and other nutrient-dense items.
Nutrition specialists say children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are particularly vulnerable when households cannot afford diverse and nutritious diets.
Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said: “Rising food prices and stagnant household purchasing power can force low-income families to compromise on dietary diversity, making nutritious food increasingly unaffordable and worsening the risk of child malnutrition.”
Climate change is another concern, particularly for communities exposed to floods, cyclones, river erosion and salinity intrusion. Such hazards can damage crops, disrupt food supply chains, reduce household incomes and undermine access to safe drinking water.
Experts working on climate resilience and food security could help assess how these risks affect nutrition among children and vulnerable communities.
The 2026 report warns that global hunger is rising again, with conflict, climate shocks and economic crises threatening food security.
The GHI uses 4 indicators to assess hunger: undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and under-5 mortality. Together, they capture both the availability of adequate food and the nutritional and health outcomes associated with hunger.
The index is published annually by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, with research support from the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV).
Under the index’s classification system, scores below 10 indicate low hunger; scores from 10 to 19.9 indicate moderate hunger; scores from 20 to 34.9 indicate serious hunger; scores from 35 to 49.9 indicate alarming hunger; and scores of 50 or above indicate extremely alarming hunger.
Bangladesh’s score of 19.2 places it near the upper end of the moderate category, underscoring the need for sustained action to improve nutrition outcomes.
Nutrition experts say Bangladesh needs stronger coordination between food security, public health, social protection, agriculture and climate adaptation programs to make further progress.
Measures could include expanding nutrition services for mothers and young children, improving access to affordable protein-rich foods, strengthening school and community nutrition programs, and supporting climate-resilient agriculture.
Better targeting of social safety-net programs and improved monitoring of child growth could also help identify vulnerable households and direct assistance where it is most needed.
While the reduction in stunting represents substantial progress, the latest figures indicate that Bangladesh still faces significant challenges in ensuring that all children receive adequate and nutritious food.
The country’s performance in future assessments will depend not only on food availability but also on whether vulnerable households can afford diverse diets and access the health care, sanitation and social support necessary for healthy growth.
