Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) was 43.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2019–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 43.9%. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
The figure is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 14.0% over ten years.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 4th out of 128 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 38.5% | — |
| 2020 | 39.2% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 40.3% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 41.7% | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 42.5% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 43.9% | +3.3% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 43.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 17.6%, 2.5× the median. (15 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 43.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 17.0%, 2.6× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 38.5% | 38.5% | 38.5% | 1 |
| 2020s | 41.5% | 39.2% | 43.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 1 South Sudan 62.9% compare
- 2 Malawi 58.1% compare
- 3 Haiti 45.4% compare
- 5 Liberia 35.5% compare
- 6 Sierra Leone 31.9% compare
- 7 Afghanistan 30.2% compare
More health data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.56 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 133,650 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 390 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 2.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0895 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 2.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0905 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Democratic Republic of Congo was 43.9% 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 43.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.5% in 2019.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 4th out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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.
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CSV · JSON — 6 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.