More than a quarter of Bangladeshis faced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023-25, according to a UN report.

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 report estimated that 26.2 percent of Bangladesh’s population, or 45.4 million people, experienced moderate or severe food insecurity during the period.

The report said Bangladesh had made progress in reducing hunger, but food insecurity and the high cost of a healthy diet continued to pose major challenges, leaving millions vulnerable to malnutrition.

The global report was jointly released on Tuesday by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO.

The proportion of people facing moderate or severe food insecurity declined from 30.6 percent in 2014-16. However, the latest figure indicates that the problem remains widespread, with millions still struggling to secure adequate and regular access to food.

The report estimated that 8.2 percent of the population, or 14.3 million people, were undernourished in 2023-25, down from 15.1 percent, or 21.9 million people, in 2004-06.

However, access to enough food does not necessarily mean access to a nutritious diet.

Nearly four in 10 Bangladeshis, or 38.6 percent of the population, were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2025, the report said.

Although the proportion fell from 62.8 percent in 2017, the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet still stood at 67.8 million in 2025. It was 101.8 million in 2017.

The cost of a healthy diet in Bangladesh also rose steadily, reaching $4.59 per person per day in purchasing power parity terms in 2025, compared with $3.09 in 2017.

The continuing difficulty in affording nutritious food is reflected in the country’s persistent malnutrition, particularly among children and women.

Among children under five, 10.7 percent, or 1.7 million, suffered from wasting in 2024, while 25.1 percent, or 4.2 million, were stunted. The proportion of stunted children was 38.3 percent in 2012. There was no earlier data on wasting.

At the same time, 5.8 percent, or 0.3 million, were overweight, highlighting the coexistence of undernutrition and overnutrition. The proportion remained unchanged from 2012.

The nutritional quality of diets among young children also remains a concern.

Only 37.6 percent of children aged 6-23 months achieved minimum dietary diversity during 2021-25, meaning most children in this age group did not consume food from a sufficiently diverse range of food groups.

The report also showed a decline in exclusive breastfeeding in Bangladesh.

It estimated that 53.3 percent of infants aged 0-5 months were exclusively breastfed in 2024. The rate, however, declined from 64.1 percent in 2012.

Women also face a significant nutritional burden. Anaemia affected 37.6 percent of women aged 15-49 in 2023, according to the report, indicating that the situation had deteriorated. The figure was 34.5 percent in 2012.