Prevalence of undernourishment in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Prevalence of undernourishment was 5.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment in Latin America & Caribbean, 2001–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of undernourishment in Latin America & Caribbean is 5.3%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 6.7% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 10.4% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 2014.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 10.4% | — |
| 2002 | 10.1% | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 9.8% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 9.1% | -6.7% |
| 2005 | 8.6% | -6.4% |
| 2006 | 7.9% | -8.1% |
| 2007 | 7.4% | -6.6% |
| 2008 | 6.9% | -6.3% |
| 2009 | 6.5% | -5.2% |
| 2010 | 6.2% | -5.7% |
| 2011 | 5.8% | -5.3% |
| 2012 | 5.6% | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 5.3% | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 5.2% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 5.5% | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 5.8% | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 6.1% | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 6.0% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 6.1% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 5.9% | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 6.0% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 5.7% | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 5.3% | -6.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.5% | 6.5% | 10.4% | 9 |
| 2010s | 5.8% | 5.2% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.8% | 5.3% | 6.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
More health data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Population ages 05-09, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, annual growth rate 1.78 % 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 45-49, female, annual growth rate 1.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0344 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0369 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Latin America & Caribbean was 5.3% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 10.4% in 2001.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 2014.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.
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CSV · JSON — 23 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%.