Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Malaysia

Malaysia: Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population was 16.7% in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
16.7%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
72nd
of 126 countries
All-time high
17.4%
in 2015
All-time low
14.9%
in 2019
Years of data
9
2015–2023

Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Malaysia, 2015–2023

0510152015201920232015: 17.4 %2016: 15.1 %2017: 15.1 %2018: 15.1 %2019: 14.9 %2020: 15.4 %2021: 16 %2022: 16.7 %2023: 16.7 %

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Malaysia is 16.7%, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of down 4.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Malaysia peaked at 17.4% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 14.9%, in 2019.

Malaysia ranks 72nd of 126 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population (%) in Malaysia, 2015 to 2023.
Year % Change
2015 17.4%
2016 15.1% -13.2%
2017 15.1% +0.0%
2018 15.1% +0.0%
2019 14.9% -1.3%
2020 15.4% +3.4%
2021 16.0% +3.9%
2022 16.7% +4.4%
2023 16.7% +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 15.5% 14.9% 17.4% 5
2020s 16.2% 15.4% 16.7% 4

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 69 Algeria 17.6% compare
  2. 70 Grenada 17.3% compare
  3. 70 New Zealand 17.3% compare
  4. 73 Uruguay 16.2% compare
  5. 74 Hungary 15.6% compare
  6. 75 Costa Rica 15.4% compare

See the full ranking of 149 places →

More health data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Malaysia?
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Malaysia was 16.7% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
What is the highest prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 17.4% in 2015.
What is the lowest prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 14.9% in 2019.
How does Malaysia rank for prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population?
Malaysia ranks 72nd out of 126 countries with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Malaysia data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-moderate-or-severe-food-insecurity-in-the-population-percent/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population (%)
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
149 places, 1,304 data points, 2014–2024
Last refreshed

The percentage of people in the population who live in households classified as moderately or severely food insecure. A household is classified as moderately or severely food insecure when at least one adult in the household has reported to have been exposed, at times during the year, to low quality diets and might have been forced to also reduce the quantity of food they would normally eat because of a lack of money or other resources.