Countries With the Fastest Growth in Prevalence of undernourishment (5-Year Change)
Change in Prevalence of undernourishment over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that rose are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Syrian Arab Republic rose the most: by 12.7 pts, from 28.1% of population to 40.8% of population in the five years to 2024. Kenya is second (+9.1 pts), followed by Zambia (+8.9 pts). 55 countries rose over that period; the median change among them was +2.4 pts.
- #1
- Syrian Arab Republic · +12.7 pts
- Median
- +2.4 pts
- Coverage
- 55 countries
- Data year
- 2024
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syrian Arab Republic | 28.1 | 40.8 | +12.7 pts |
| 2 | Kenya | 25.8 | 34.9 | +9.1 pts |
| 3 | Zambia | 32.1 | 41 | +8.9 pts |
| 4 | Haiti | 42.6 | 51.4 | +8.8 pts |
| 5 | Nigeria | 13.9 | 22.2 | +8.3 pts |
| 6 | Mali | 4.7 | 12.1 | +7.4 pts |
| 7 | Guinea-Bissau | 13 | 20 | +7 pts |
| 8 | Ukraine | 4.3 | 10.8 | +6.5 pts |
| 9 | São Tomé and Principe | 16.5 | 23 | +6.5 pts |
| 10 | Bolivia | 13.4 | 19.5 | +6.1 pts |
| 11 | Libya | 12.7 | 18.7 | +6 pts |
| 12 | Solomon Islands | 21.5 | 27 | +5.5 pts |
| 13 | Gabon | 18 | 23.3 | +5.3 pts |
| 14 | Malawi | 19.3 | 24.5 | +5.2 pts |
| 15 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 34.4 | 39.5 | +5.1 pts |
| 16 | Central African Republic | 25.2 | 29.8 | +4.6 pts |
| 17 | South Africa | 7.1 | 11.2 | +4.1 pts |
| 18 | Chad | 29.8 | 33.6 | +3.8 pts |
| 19 | Lebanon | 7.4 | 11.1 | +3.7 pts |
| 20 | Comoros | 13.2 | 16.5 | +3.3 pts |
| 21 | Pakistan | 12.9 | 16.1 | +3.2 pts |
| 22 | Suriname | 9.5 | 12.7 | +3.2 pts |
| 23 | Mauritania | 7.9 | 11 | +3.1 pts |
| 24 | Niger | 9.9 | 12.9 | +3 pts |
| 25 | Trinidad and Tobago | 7.4 | 10.4 | +3 pts |
| 26 | Afghanistan | 24.9 | 27.8 | +2.9 pts |
| 27 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 53.8 | 56.5 | +2.7 pts |
| 28 | Morocco | 4.1 | 6.5 | +2.4 pts |
| 29 | Papua New Guinea | 28.2 | 30.5 | +2.3 pts |
| 30 | Madagascar | 39.6 | 41.8 | +2.2 pts |
| 31 | Barbados | 2.9 | 5 | +2.1 pts |
| 32 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 6.5 | 8.4 | +1.9 pts |
| 33 | Fiji | 5.3 | 7.2 | +1.9 pts |
| 34 | Nicaragua | 15.6 | 17.3 | +1.7 pts |
| 35 | Djibouti | 13 | 14.7 | +1.7 pts |
| 36 | Côte d'Ivoire | 9.8 | 11.4 | +1.6 pts |
| 37 | Myanmar | 3 | 4.6 | +1.6 pts |
| 38 | Albania | 4.3 | 5.6 | +1.3 pts |
| 39 | Eswatini | 13.8 | 15.1 | +1.3 pts |
| 40 | Ethiopia | 18.7 | 19.9 | +1.2 pts |
| 41 | Sri Lanka | 3.8 | 4.9 | +1.1 pts |
| 42 | Jamaica | 6.9 | 8 | +1.1 pts |
| 43 | Paraguay | 3 | 4.1 | +1.1 pts |
| 44 | Sudan | 9.8 | 10.9 | +1.1 pts |
| 45 | Cuba | 2.5 | 3.5 | +1 pts |
| 46 | Oman | 6.1 | 7.1 | +1 pts |
| 47 | Timor-Leste | 16 | 16.9 | +0.9 pts |
| 48 | Honduras | 13.5 | 14.3 | +0.8 pts |
| 49 | Lao PDR | 9.3 | 10 | +0.7 pts |
| 50 | Liberia | 36.6 | 37.3 | +0.7 pts |
| 51 | Nepal | 4.7 | 5.2 | +0.5 pts |
| 52 | Turkmenistan | 3.6 | 4.1 | +0.5 pts |
| 53 | Tunisia | 2.5 | 2.8 | +0.3 pts |
| 54 | Panama | 4.5 | 4.7 | +0.2 pts |
| 55 | Angola | 17.3 | 17.4 | +0.1 pts |
About the top 10
#1 Syrian Arab Republic
Syrian Arab Republic ranks #1 on this list with +12.7 pts.
- Capital
- Damascus
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 25.62 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$23.74 billion (2022)
- GDP per person
- US$1,057 (2022)
- Life expectancy
- 72.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 72.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Damascus, Aleppo.
Also ranks #2 in refugee population by origin · #2 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #3 in net migration.
#2 Kenya
Kenya ranks #2 on this list with +9.1 pts.
- Capital
- Nairobi
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 57.53 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$135.94 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,363 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 32.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Nairobi, Mombasa.
Also ranks #8 in prevalence of undernourishment · #8 in deposit interest rate · #12 in poverty headcount ratio.
#3 Zambia
Zambia ranks #3 on this list with +8.9 pts.
- Capital
- Lusaka
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 21.91 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$28.88 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,318 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lusaka.
Also ranks #2 in mineral rents share of gdp · #3 in gini index · #4 in prevalence of undernourishment.
#4 Haiti
Haiti ranks #4 on this list with +8.8 pts.
- Capital
- Port-au-Prince
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 11.91 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$32.08 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,694 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 65.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 55.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in prevalence of undernourishment · #4 in time to start a business (days) · #7 in homicide rate.
#5 Nigeria
Nigeria ranks #5 on this list with +8.3 pts.
- Capital
- Abuja
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 237.53 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$290.79 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,224 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 54.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt.
Also ranks #1 in under-5 mortality rate · #1 in maternal mortality ratio · #1 in children out of school (primary).
#6 Mali
Mali ranks #6 on this list with +7.4 pts.
- Capital
- Bamako
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 25.2 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$30.07 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,193 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 60.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 32.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Bamako.
Also ranks #6 in population ages 0-14 share · #6 in age dependency ratio · #6 in age dependency ratio (young).
#7 Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau ranks #7 on this list with +7 pts.
- Capital
- Bissau
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 2.25 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.53 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,124 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 46.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #5 in forest rents share of gdp · #7 in low-birthweight babies share.
#8 Ukraine
Ukraine ranks #8 on this list with +6.5 pts.
- Capital
- Kyiv
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 38.98 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$214.23 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,866 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 69.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa.
Also ranks #1 in net migration · #3 in refugee population by origin · #4 in arable land share.
#9 São Tomé and Principe
São Tomé and Principe ranks #9 on this list with +6.5 pts.
- Capital
- São Tomé
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 240,250 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$981.29 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,084 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 69.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #10 in services value added share of gdp · #16 in lending interest rate · #18 in prevalence of undernourishment.
#10 Bolivia
Bolivia ranks #10 on this list with +6.1 pts.
- Capital
- La Paz, Sucre
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 12.58 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$64.77 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,148 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
Also ranks #2 in real effective exchange rate index · #3 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #4 in women in parliament share.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in Prevalence of undernourishment over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that rose are listed.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SN.ITK.DEFC.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population): Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Values are shown as published (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.