Statizoid

Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) by country

The percentage of people in the population who live in households classified as severely food insecure. A household is classified as severely food insecure when at least one adult in the household has reported to have been exposed, at times during the year, to several of the most severe experiences described in the...

Countries reporting
124
Highest
63.1%
South Sudan
Lowest
0.0%
Russian Federation
Median
4.8%
Years covered
11
2014–2024
Data points
1,295

What the numbers show

Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) is currently reported for 124 countries. The highest value is 63.1% in South Sudan; the lowest is 0.0% in Russian Federation.

The median across all reporting countries is 4.8%, and the mean is 9.4%.

Over the past decade 72 countries rose and 40 fell. The largest increase was in Pakistan (up 1,022.2%), and the largest decrease in Armenia (down 100.0%).

Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 South Sudan 63.1% 2023 down 3.5% flat
2 Malawi 55.6% 2023 up 16.6% rising
3 Haiti 45.4% 2023 — falling
4 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 42.5% 2023 — rising
5 Liberia 37.1% 2023 down 3.9% flat
6 Sierra Leone 33.7% 2023 up 26.2% rising
7 Afghanistan 31.0% 2023 up 109.5% rising
8 Namibia 30.0% 2023 up 3.8% rising
9 Kenya 28.1% 2023 up 87.3% rising
10 Jamaica 27.8% 2023 up 9.9% rising
11 Botswana 26.1% 2023 up 41.8% rising
12 Chad 25.2% 2023 down 22.2% falling
13 Zimbabwe 25.1% 2023 down 29.3% falling
14 Cameroon 24.7% 2023 up 10.8% flat
14 Lesotho 24.7% 2023 down 8.5% falling
16 Tanzania, United Republic of 24.4% 2023 up 18.4% rising
17 Nigeria 24.3% 2023 up 120.9% rising
18 Gambia 21.7% 2023 down 8.1% flat
19 Guatemala 21.3% 2023 up 32.3% rising
20 Ethiopia 19.0% 2023 up 31.0% rising
21 Dominican Republic 17.9% 2023 down 26.3% falling
22 Madagascar 17.8% 2023 up 87.4% rising
23 Libya 17.2% 2023 up 53.6% rising
23 Zambia 17.2% 2023 down 23.2% falling
25 Honduras 15.4% 2023 up 8.5% rising
25 El Salvador 15.4% 2023 up 11.6% rising
27 Benin 15.0% 2023 up 44.2% rising
28 Uganda 14.9% 2023 down 30.7% falling
29 Peru 14.5% 2023 up 46.5% rising
30 Mauritania 13.1% 2023 up 184.8% rising
31 Nepal 12.8% 2023 up 23.1% rising
32 Argentina 12.3% 2023 up 112.1% rising
33 Mauritius 12.2% 2023 up 134.6% rising
34 Egypt 12.0% 2023 up 42.9% rising
35 Ecuador 11.9% 2023 up 98.3% rising
36 Lebanon 10.1% 2023 up 140.5% rising
36 Pakistan 10.1% 2023 up 1,022.2% volatile
38 Togo 9.9% 2023 down 38.5% falling
39 Tunisia 9.6% 2023 up 5.5% rising
40 Ghana 9.4% 2023 up 84.3% rising
41 Guinea-Bissau 9.0% 2022 up 8.4% rising
42 South Africa 8.5% 2023 up 23.2% rising
43 Albania 8.4% 2023 down 16.0% falling
43 Côte d'Ivoire 8.4% 2023 up 35.5% rising
45 Niger 7.6% 2023 down 24.0% falling
46 Burkina Faso 7.3% 2023 up 23.7% rising
47 Myanmar 7.2% 2023 — rising
48 Romania 7.0% 2023 up 25.0% rising
49 Paraguay 6.6% 2022 up 450.0% rising
50 Palestine, State of 6.3% 2023 up 43.2% rising
51 Georgia 6.2% 2023 down 11.4% flat
52 Cape Verde 6.1% 2023 down 36.5% falling
53 Iran, Islamic Republic of 5.9% 2023 down 37.9% falling
54 Kiribati 5.8% 2023 down 27.5% falling
54 Malaysia 5.8% 2023 down 25.6% falling
56 Lao People's Democratic Republic 5.6% 2023 — falling
56 Tajikistan 5.6% 2023 up 14.3% flat
58 Republic of Moldova 5.4% 2023 up 237.5% rising
59 Ukraine 5.3% 2023 up 165.0% rising
60 Uzbekistan 5.2% 2023 up 173.7% rising
61 Colombia 5.0% 2023 up 2.0% rising
62 Algeria 4.9% 2023 down 62.3% falling
63 Grenada 4.7% 2023 down 43.4% falling
64 Hungary 4.5% 2023 up 221.4% volatile
64 Samoa 4.5% 2023 up 32.4% rising
66 New Zealand 4.3% 2023 up 53.6% rising
67 Senegal 4.0% 2023 down 46.7% falling
68 Australia 3.7% 2023 up 32.1% rising
69 Chile 3.6% 2023 up 24.1% rising
69 Cambodia 3.6% 2023 down 21.7% falling
71 Singapore 3.5% 2023 up 250.0% volatile
72 Brazil 3.4% 2023 up 385.7% volatile
72 Kuwait 3.4% 2023 down 30.6% falling
72 North Macedonia 3.4% 2023 down 5.6% rising
75 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 3.3% 2023 up 73.7% rising
76 Portugal 3.1% 2023 down 24.4% falling
77 Philippines 3.0% 2023 down 6.2% falling
78 Finland 2.9% 2023 up 20.8% rising
78 Mexico 2.9% 2023 down 14.7% falling
80 Costa Rica 2.7% 2023 up 50.0% rising
80 France 2.7% 2023 up 68.8% rising
80 Netherlands 2.7% 2023 up 80.0% rising
80 Uruguay 2.7% 2023 up 58.8% rising
84 Mali 2.6% 2023 down 18.8% falling
85 Sweden 2.5% 2023 up 212.5% rising
86 Belgium 2.4% 2023 — rising
86 Denmark 2.4% 2023 up 140.0% rising
88 Viet Nam 2.2% 2023 — volatile
89 Ireland 2.1% 2023 down 38.2% falling
89 Iceland 2.1% 2023 up 23.5% rising
89 Malta 2.1% 2023 up 40.0% rising
92 Bulgaria 2.0% 2023 up 5.3% rising
93 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.9% 2023 up 26.7% rising
93 Canada 1.9% 2023 up 216.7% rising
93 Latvia 1.9% 2023 up 216.7% volatile
96 Czechia 1.8% 2023 up 157.1% volatile
97 Montenegro 1.6% 2023 down 23.8% rising
97 Norway 1.6% 2023 up 45.5% rising
99 Austria 1.5% 2023 up 36.4% rising
99 Greece 1.5% 2023 down 42.3% falling
99 Serbia 1.5% 2023 down 11.8% rising
102 Spain 1.4% 2023 up 27.3% rising
102 Slovakia 1.4% 2023 up 27.3% rising
104 Azerbaijan 1.3% 2023 — volatile
105 Germany 1.2% 2023 up 20.0% rising
105 Lithuania 1.2% 2023 down 52.0% falling
107 Switzerland 1.1% 2023 down 26.7% volatile
107 Estonia 1.1% 2023 up 22.2% rising
107 Japan 1.1% 2023 — volatile
107 Kyrgyzstan 1.1% 2022 up 37.5% rising
107 Republic of Korea 1.1% 2023 — volatile
107 Sri Lanka 1.1% 2023 up 57.1% rising
113 Croatia 1.0% 2023 up 66.7% rising
113 United States of America 1.0% 2023 down 9.1% falling
115 Israel 0.9% 2023 down 30.8% falling
115 Slovenia 0.9% 2023 unchanged volatile
117 Thailand 0.8% 2023 up 14.3% rising
118 Mongolia 0.7% 2023 — volatile
119 Kazakhstan 0.6% 2023 — volatile
119 Luxembourg 0.6% 2023 down 66.7% falling
121 Armenia 0.0% 2023 down 100.0% volatile
121 Indonesia 0.0% 2023 down 100.0% volatile
121 Poland 0.0% 2023 down 100.0% volatile
121 Russian Federation 0.0% 2023 down 100.0% volatile

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

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Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population by country. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-severe-food-insecurity-in-the-population-percent/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of 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
148 places, 1,295 data points, 2014–2024
Last refreshed

The percentage of people in the population who live in households classified as severely food insecure. A household is classified as severely food insecure when at least one adult in the household has reported to have been exposed, at times during the year, to several of the most severe experiences described in the FIES questions, such as to have been forced to reduce the quantity of the food, to have skipped meals, having gone hungry, or having to go for a whole day without eating because of a lack of money or other resources.