An estimated 2 billion people worldwide are zinc deficient.
"zinc deficiency is actually the most common malnutrition in the world. They estimate 2 billion people uh on the on the planet as zinc deficient." (said at 0:38:25)
The statement bundles two assertions: that zinc deficiency is the most common form of malnutrition globally, and that an estimated 2 billion people are zinc deficient. First, iron deficiency (not zinc deficiency) is established in global nutritional epidemiology as the most common form of micronutrient malnutrition worldwide. Second, while the figure of 2 billion is widely cited for overall micronutrient deficiencies ("hidden hunger") or broader historic estimates of population risk, modern global dietary modeling estimates that approximately 1.13 billion individuals (around 15% of the global population) have inadequate zinc intake.
- partial: Mandatory large-scale food fortification programmes can reduce the estimated prevalence of… (Nature food 2024)
"Accounting for LSFF programmes as currently implemented, 15% of the global population (1.13 billion individuals) is estimated to have inadequate zinc intake." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - context: Beyond Calories: Addressing Micronutrient Deficiencies in the World's Most Vulnerable Comm… (Nutrients 2025)
"This review assesses the prevalence, drivers, and consequences of selected micronutrient deficiencies: iron, iodine, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin D, within the scope of undernutrition, food insecurity, and socioeconomic inequity." (abstract, methods, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)