Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) in New Zealand
New Zealand: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) was 4.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in New Zealand, 2015–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in %.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 4.9% 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 14.0% on the previous year and up 75.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in New Zealand peaked at 4.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 2015.
New Zealand ranks 59th of 128 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2.8% | — |
| 2016 | 3.3% | +17.9% |
| 2017 | 4.2% | +27.3% |
| 2018 | 4.4% | +4.8% |
| 2019 | 3.9% | -11.4% |
| 2020 | 3.5% | -10.3% |
| 2021 | 3.3% | -5.7% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | +15.2% |
| 2023 | 4.3% | +13.2% |
| 2024 | 4.9% | +14.0% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 4.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.9%, 2.6× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 4.9% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.4%, 1.4× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 3.7% | 2.8% | 4.4% | 5 |
| 2020s | 4.0% | 3.3% | 4.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More health data for New Zealand
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.94 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.4815 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 33 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.1187 % 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 0.0277 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.018 % 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 0.0291 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in New Zealand?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in New Zealand was 4.9% 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 4.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 2015.
- How does New Zealand rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population?
- New Zealand ranks 59th out of 128 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 75.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.