TEHRAN - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has unveiled a noteworthy decline in malnutrition across Iran during the period of 2021 to 2022, leading to a commendable upswing of 12 positions in the country’s global standing in the realm of nutrition.

FAO, in its comprehensive “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” report, has underscored Iran’s remarkable progress in alleviating malnutrition throughout the two-year span of 2021 to 2022.

The meticulously gathered data of FAO paints a compelling picture of this transformation, revealing that a mere 6.1% of Iran's population encountered malnutrition during this timeframe. Notably, this marks a substantial reduction compared to the preceding window of 2018 to 2020, wherein malnutrition afflicted more than 7% of Iran's populace.

Outperforming 77 nations 

In a comparative analysis spanning 167 nations globally, FAO has bestowed Iran with the 90th rank concerning malnutrition mitigation efforts. 

Impressively, this positions Iran ahead of 77 nations that reported a more pronounced malnutrition prevalence than Iran during the window of 2021 to 2022. Countries such as Morocco, Egypt, Iraq, India, Pakistan, and Tajikistan are among this category.

A remarkable 12-step advancement 

With the significant reduction in malnutrition rates in Iran during the 2021-2022 period, the country has vaulted 12 places upward in the global ranking. Notably, Iran had previously secured the 102nd spot in the global ranking during the span of 2018 to 2020.

Conversely, Madagascar has reported the most acute malnutrition crisis, with a staggering 51% of its population grappling with this challenge, as documented by FAO's findings.

On the other hand, countries like the United Arab Emirates, Austria, China, France, Germany, and the United States reported the lowest malnutrition prevalence. Less than 2.5% of the populations of these countries experienced malnutrition during the years 2021 to 2022.

Furthermore, a range of countries have also displayed varying degrees of malnutrition prevalence, including Oman (2.8%), Japan (3.2%), Saudi Arabia (3.8%), Brazil (4.7%), Thailand (5.2%), Indonesia (5.9%), Peru (7%), South Africa (7.9%), Bangladesh (11.2%), Nigeria (15.9%), Venezuela (17.9%), Angola (21.6%), Syria (27.8%), and Zimbabwe (38.4%).

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