Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) in Malawi
Malawi: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) was 58.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Malawi, 2015–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Malawi stood at 58.1%. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.5% on the previous year and up 21.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Malawi peaked at 58.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 47.7%, in 2015.
That places Malawi 2nd out of 128 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 47.7% | — |
| 2016 | 48.5% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 49.7% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 48.3% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 49.5% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 51.0% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 52.2% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 53.5% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 55.6% | +3.9% |
| 2024 | 58.1% | +4.5% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 58.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 17.6%, 3.3× the median. (15 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 58.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 17.0%, 3.4× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 48.7% | 47.7% | 49.7% | 5 |
| 2020s | 54.1% | 51.0% | 58.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 1 South Sudan 62.9% compare
- 3 Haiti 45.4% compare
- 4 Democratic Republic of Congo 43.9% compare
- 5 Liberia 35.5% compare
More health data for Malawi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8368 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9312 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 6,399 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.61 % 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 0.0714 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % 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 0.0718 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Malawi?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in Malawi was 58.1% 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 58.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.7% in 2015.
- How does Malawi rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population?
- Malawi ranks 2nd out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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 — 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.