Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) in Australia
Australia: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) was 4.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Australia, 2015–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in %.
Analysis
Australia recorded 4.4% for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in 2024. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 18.9% on the previous year and up 57.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Australia peaked at 4.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 2015.
That places Australia 67th out of 128 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2.8% | — |
| 2016 | 3.4% | +21.4% |
| 2017 | 3.6% | +5.9% |
| 2018 | 3.8% | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 3.3% | -13.2% |
| 2020 | 3.6% | +9.1% |
| 2021 | 3.4% | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 4.2% | +23.5% |
| 2023 | 3.7% | -11.9% |
| 2024 | 4.4% | +18.9% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 4.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.9%, 2.3× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Australia's 4.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.4%, 1.3× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 3.4% | 2.8% | 3.8% | 5 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.4% | 4.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More health data for Australia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.83 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.9072 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 215 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2021)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0279 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.35 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0295 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Australia?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Australia was 4.4% in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 2015.
- How does Australia rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population?
- Australia ranks 67th out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 57.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.