Prevalence of undernourishment in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): Prevalence of undernourishment was 5.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) is 5.3%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 6.7% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 10.5% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 2014.
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 31st of 47 groups on this measure, 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 10.5% | — |
| 2002 | 10.3% | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 10.0% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 9.3% | -6.8% |
| 2005 | 8.7% | -6.4% |
| 2006 | 8.0% | -8.2% |
| 2007 | 7.4% | -7.9% |
| 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 | 8.6% | 6.5% | 10.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 5.8% | 5.2% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.8% | 5.3% | 6.0% | 4 |
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 undernourishment in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 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 & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 10.5% in 2001.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 2014.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- 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 & 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 undernourishment (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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%.