Tajikistan Nearly Halves Undernourishment, but Healthy Diets Remain Out of Reach for Many

Tajikistan has nearly halved its undernourishment rate over the past decade, but food insecurity and access to healthy diets remain major challenges for a significant share of the population, according to a new regional report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The report on food security and nutrition in Europe and Central Asia said the prevalence of undernourishment in Tajikistan fell to 8.4% in 2022-2024 from 16.1% in 2014-2016, marking one of the strongest improvements in the region. Despite the progress, Tajikistan remains among the countries in Europe and Central Asia where undernourishment exceeds the FAO’s 2.5% benchmark. Central Asia remains the only subregion where the indicator stayed above that threshold, at 2.8% in both 2023 and 2024. The report said around a quarter of Tajikistan’s population faced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2022-2024, above the Central Asian average. Across the region, 16.2% of the population, or 13.3 million people, faced similar conditions in 2024. Access to healthy diets also remains a challenge. In 2024, about 24% of Tajikistan’s population could not afford a healthy diet, compared with the Central Asian average of 14%, according to FAO. That figure has improved from more than 30% in 2019 but remains one of the highest in the region. Only neighboring Kyrgyzstan recorded a higher rate, at 30.4%, while Uzbekistan stood at about 13% and Kazakhstan at 4% to 5%. Child nutrition indicators have improved but remain uneven. Stunting among children under five in Tajikistan fell to around 13% in 2024, nearly half the level recorded in 2012, though still above the 10% threshold. Tajikistan also recorded the highest child wasting rate in the region, at 6.4%, the report showed. The report also highlighted persistent anemia among women, affecting around 37% of women aged 15 to 49, while obesity among adults has risen to about 24%. Exclusive breastfeeding was one of the few positive trends. According to UNICEF, exclusive breastfeeding among infants under six months rose to 40.8% in 2023 from 14.2% in 2000.