Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population was 7.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 2014–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in %.
Analysis
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 7.6% for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in 2024.
That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and up 30.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 11.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 2015.
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 16th of 23 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 5.8% | — |
| 2015 | 5.6% | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 7.2% | +28.1% |
| 2017 | 7.9% | +9.5% |
| 2018 | 7.6% | -3.8% |
| 2019 | 7.8% | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 10.2% | +30.9% |
| 2021 | 11.4% | +11.0% |
| 2022 | 10.0% | -12.0% |
| 2023 | 7.8% | -21.7% |
| 2024 | 7.6% | -3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 7.0% | 5.6% | 7.9% | 6 |
| 2020s | 9.4% | 7.6% | 11.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
More health data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 1.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, per capita 0.0311 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, per capita 0.0384 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, annual growth rate 1.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per capita 0.033 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, male, annual growth rate -0.308 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.036 units per person (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) was 7.6% 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 Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 11.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 2015.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 16th out of 23 groups with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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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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.