Pakistan, Oct. 16 -- Pakistan has ranked second-worst in South Asia on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2026, behind only Afghanistan, highlighting the country's worsening food insecurity and malnutrition challenges.

"With a 2026 Global Hunger Index score of 25.5, Pakistan has a serious level of hunger," according to the report published on the GHI website.

Only Afghanistan has a higher score than Pakistan in the South Asia region, with a score of 28.6 on the index. Across South Asia, the regional GHI score is 23.5, while the global score is 18.1.

Pakistan's score has, however, fallen from 36.2 in 2000 to 25.5 in 2026, showing substantial long-term improvement, according to the report.

The country ranks 106th out of 122 countries globall...