UN: Albania has the most undernourished population in Europe

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s global map on the prevalence of malnutrition for the period 2022–2024 shows that Albania has the highest level of malnutrition in Europe, ranking only with Ukraine, a country that has been at war for years.

According to the latest FAO data for the period 2022–2024, Albania appears as the only country in Europe where malnutrition is still a problem. While the vast majority of European countries have almost zero prevalence of the population failing to secure enough food, Albania appears with a darker color, unlike its neighbors and the European standard.

According to FAO estimates, the prevalence of malnutrition in Albania is estimated at around 5.4% of the population, while in European Union countries this indicator is below 2%, often even negligible. By comparison, in countries in the region such as North Macedonia, Montenegro or Greece, the phenomenon is invisible in FAO statistics, indicating that access to food is more stable.

FAO data show that malnutrition in Albania has been on the rise. At the beginning of the period (2014–2016), the prevalence of malnutrition was 4.5%, remaining relatively stable for several consecutive years, with small fluctuations in the range of 4.3–4.5%. This indicates that for a long period, the situation has been almost the same, without any noticeable increase or decrease.

However, after 2019–2020, an upward trend is observed. From a level of 4.3%, the prevalence of undernutrition reaches 5.4% for the years 2020–2021, increasing further to 5.8% in 2021–2022 and marking a new peak at 6.2% in the period 2021–2023.

In the most recent period, 2022–2024, the level of undernourishment fell to 5.4%, marking a slight improvement, but remaining significantly higher than the average of previous years.

FAO reports that Albania has not only made no progress, it is also at risk of deepening the contrast with its neighbors in the malnutrition indicator.

While other European countries have driven the phenomenon of malnutrition towards extinction, Albania has remained a "dark spot" on a continent considered an example of food security./ Monitor

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