Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in Eswatini
Eswatini: Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) was 15.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of undernourishment in Eswatini, 2001–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of undernourishment in Eswatini stood at 15.1%.
The figure is up 3.4% on the previous year and down 16.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Eswatini peaked at 26.6% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 9.0%, in 2003.
Eswatini ranks 39th of 171 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population) in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 9.9% | — |
| 2002 | 9.3% | -6.1% |
| 2003 | 9.0% | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 10.0% | +11.1% |
| 2005 | 12.0% | +20.0% |
| 2006 | 14.3% | +19.2% |
| 2007 | 16.9% | +18.2% |
| 2008 | 20.1% | +18.9% |
| 2009 | 24.5% | +21.9% |
| 2010 | 26.6% | +8.6% |
| 2011 | 26.4% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 22.7% | -14.0% |
| 2013 | 19.6% | -13.7% |
| 2014 | 18.1% | -7.7% |
| 2015 | 18.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 18.3% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 17.1% | -6.6% |
| 2018 | 15.5% | -9.4% |
| 2019 | 13.8% | -11.0% |
| 2020 | 13.6% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 13.5% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 14.1% | +4.4% |
| 2023 | 14.6% | +3.5% |
| 2024 | 15.1% | +3.4% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 15.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.1%, 1.4× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 15.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.8%, 81% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.0% | 9.0% | 24.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 19.6% | 13.8% | 26.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.2% | 13.5% | 15.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More health data for Eswatini
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.9 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6228 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 206 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.6874 % 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 0.0553 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5455 % 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 0.0566 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Eswatini?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Eswatini was 15.1% in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 26.6% in 2010.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.0% in 2003.
- How does Eswatini rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Eswatini ranks 39th out of 171 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Eswatini data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Prevalence of undernourishment is the percentage of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life. Data showing as 2.5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 2.5%.