Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population was 89.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
89.8%
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
1st
of 126 countries
All-time high
89.8%
in 2023
All-time low
75.8%
in 2015
Years of data
9
2015–2023

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

0204060802015201920232015: 75.8 %2016: 81.5 %2017: 83 %2018: 83 %2019: 85.3 %2020: 86.7 %2021: 89.2 %2022: 88.6 %2023: 89.8 %

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

Analysis

Sierra Leone recorded 89.8% for prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in 2023. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 18.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Sierra Leone peaked at 89.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 75.8%, in 2015.

That places Sierra Leone 1st out of 126 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Annual values for Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population (%) in Sierra Leone, 2015 to 2023.
Year % Change
2015 75.8%
2016 81.5% +7.5%
2017 83.0% +1.8%
2018 83.0% +0.0%
2019 85.3% +2.8%
2020 86.7% +1.6%
2021 89.2% +2.9%
2022 88.6% -0.7%
2023 89.8% +1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 81.7% 75.8% 85.3% 5
2020s 88.6% 86.7% 89.8% 4

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 2 South Sudan 88.1% compare
  2. 3 Haiti 83.2% compare
  3. 4 Malawi 81.7% compare

See the full ranking of 149 places →

More health data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Sierra Leone?
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Sierra Leone was 89.8% 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 Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 89.8% in 2023.
What is the lowest prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 75.8% in 2015.
How does Sierra Leone rank for prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population?
Sierra Leone ranks 1st out of 126 countries with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone. 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/sierra-leone/

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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.