Prevalence of undernourishment in Zambia
Zambia: Prevalence of undernourishment was 37.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment in Zambia, 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 Zambia is 37.2%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and down 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Zambia peaked at 50.3% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 31.5%, in 2018.
That places Zambia 7th out of 168 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 50.3% | — |
| 2002 | 50.1% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 50.1% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 49.5% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 49.4% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 48.1% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 46.8% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 45.6% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 44.9% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 43.9% | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 42.8% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 41.1% | -4.0% |
| 2013 | 39.1% | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 37.3% | -4.6% |
| 2015 | 35.1% | -5.9% |
| 2016 | 33.4% | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 31.8% | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 31.5% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 32.1% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 33.9% | +5.6% |
| 2021 | 35.7% | +5.3% |
| 2022 | 36.2% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 37.2% | +2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 48.3% | 44.9% | 50.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | 36.8% | 31.5% | 43.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.8% | 33.9% | 37.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 4 Madagascar 39.5% compare
- 5 Syrian Arab Republic 39.0% compare
- 6 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 38.5% compare
- 8 Kenya 36.8% compare
- 9 Liberia 35.5% compare
- 10 Chad 32.0% compare
More health data for Zambia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7971 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 809.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 8,894 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per capita 0.0677 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, annual growth rate 1.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per capita 0.0677 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, annual growth rate 1.51 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment in Zambia?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Zambia was 37.2% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 50.3% in 2001.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.5% in 2018.
- How does Zambia rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Zambia ranks 7th out of 168 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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%.