Hunger is one of the major issues affecting the citizens of Bangladesh. Around 40% of the nation's population suffers from various degrees of hunger, primarily falling under three categories: acute hunger, starvation and chronic hunger. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and is home to more than 173 million people (as of 2024). It has developed considerably economically in terms of the Human Development Index, particularly in the areas of literacy and life expectancy. However, its economic inequality has increased, demonstrated by the fact that about 32% of the population still live in extreme poverty. The country faces significant hunger with approximately 40 million people being close to starvation. Fortunately, poverty has decreased considerably since 2010, falling from 49% to around 18.7% in 2022. In 2025, Global Hunger Index rated hunger in Bangladesh at Moderate (19.2). This rating was based on 10.4% of the population was undernourished (insufficient calories), 25.1% of children under 5 have stunted height, 0.7% are wasted (low weight for their height) and 3.1% of children die before their 3rd birthday. All four indicies improved between 2000 and 2025.
History Following the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, the country was faced with a multitude of problems, both physical and economic. Its economy was lacking and it had to fix the physical damage caused by the fighting. In 1974, Bangladesh was hit by an intense monsoon that damaged much of the crops produced that year. The monsoon, paired with existing issues, like the economic fragility resulting from the war and government mismanagement, caused a devastating famine throughout the country. During the 1974 famine, the United States intervened by pressuring Bangladeshi politicians to provide aid for agricultural producers and by sending food aid to the population. Hunger has remained over the years, yet Bangladesh has moved toward hunger reduction over time. There were downturns in the availability of food, particularly during the late 1970s, although the early 2000s were also challenging. During this famine period, many farmers lacked knowledge regarding how to provide food given land lacking nutrients due to over aggressive farming.
Causes Factors that contribute to the hunger crisis over the various states of Bangladesh include a lack of resources and education. Food insecurity in Bangladesh is derived from extreme poverty due to under and unemployment, inadequate access to land for cultivation, social exclusion and natural disasters. In these endangered, poor populations, women and children are most affected by undernutrition and malnutrition. According to Asia Times, food waste is a cause; across Bangladesh approximately 5% of food is wasted each year. Food waste is particularly severe during Bangladesh's winter wedding season, which produces "tons of food wastage". Families of the bride and groom are expected to produce lavish meals, and the lack of RSVPs means caterers can't easily plan for guest numbers, so much food goes directly into waste bins.
Climate change From 1990 to 2010, floods, droughts and hurricanes increasingly caused major economic losses and livelihood damage in Bangladesh. Agriculture is a major industry that accounts for nearly 20% of GDP and 65% of the labor force and faces huge risks. Bangladesh's agriculture relies heavily on the specific conditions of the annual floods. The World Bank recognizes that large-scale floods, which occur infrequently can nonetheless have catastrophic effects. Climate change is expected to reduce the output of rice, Bangladesh's main crop, and increase the country's dependence on other crops and imported grains. On the whole, due to climate change, Bangladesh's agricultural GDP is expected to decline by 3.1% per year. These changes will not only affect the agricultural sector but also the entire food chain, including household consumption.
Consequences There are many consequences of hunger in Bangladesh, namely malnutrition, undernutrition in children, child stunting, and child wasting. Child stunting is defined as a child being two standard deviations lower than average height for age and child wasting is a child who is two standard deviations lower than average weight for height. Data from 2008–2012 shows that being moderately underweight occurred in 36.4% of cases, while stunting was at 41.3%, and wasting – at 15.6%. Food availability with limited food variability can lead to a misperception that hunger is minimized in a population. Micronutrient deficiency leads to hidden hunger, the perception that a population is not food insecure. A diet with enough calories from rice but lacking in protein, vitamins and micronutrients (as in parts of Bangladesh) has hidden hunger. About 24 percent of women have reduced weight and 13 percent are short of stature, which significantly increases the likelihood that their children are growth retarded. According to Global Report on Food Crises 2025, Bangladesh was among ten countries accounting for two-third of people facing acute food insecurity, alongside Pakistan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, DR Congo, Syria, Yemen, South Sudan and Sudan. There has been a decline of 7.6 million in the number of people facing severe food insecurity in Bangladesh since 2024, yet 16 million people continue to be affected by food insecurity at or above crisis-level. Areas where Rohingya refugees have settled have been subject to higher acute food insecurity. The report noted that progress is fragile and dependent upon external support.
Demographics Hunger among the middle and lower class population of Bangladesh is growing at a fast rate compared to other south Asian countries. Of the 50 million people experiencing food insecurity in Bangladesh, less than half have access to food security network programs. Sacrifices by adults in food consumption for the good of children, particularly in moments of scarcity, is highly disseminated. In most cases, it is an adult or teenage woman who has to make a sacrifice.The disproportionate poverty aimed at women and children comes due to the discrimination and traditions of exclusion, leaving them the most vulnerable.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
