South Africa vs United States of America: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population

South Africa
7.7 %
in 2023
United States of America
1 %
in 2023
South Africa rank
37th
United States of America rank
35th

Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population over time

  • South Africa
  • United States of America
02468201420182023

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 7.7 % against 1 % in United States of America, a difference of 6.7 %.

That makes South Africa's figure about 7.7 times United States of America's.

Across all 7 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

South Africa ranks 37th and United States of America ranks 35th of 103 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa United States of America Difference Ahead
2010s 6.8 % 0.6667 % 6.13 % South Africa
2020s 7.7 % 0.8 % 6.9 % South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population, South Africa or United States of America?
South Africa, at 7.7 % against 1 % in United States of America as of 2023.
What is the difference in prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population between South Africa and United States of America?
6.7 %, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States of America?
7 years are reported by both, from 2017 to 2023.
How do South Africa and United States of America rank globally for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
South Africa ranks 37th and United States of America ranks 35th of 103 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Lower bound. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs United States of America: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/compare/prevalence-of-severe-food-insecurity-in-the-total-population-percent-3-year-average/south-africa/united-states-of-america/

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<a href="https://agriculture.statizoid.com/compare/prevalence-of-severe-food-insecurity-in-the-total-population-percent-3-year-average/south-africa/united-states-of-america/">South Africa vs United States of America: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Lower bound
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
151 places, 1,366 data points, 2014–2023
Last refreshed

The Suite of Food Security Indicators presents the core set of food security indicators. Following the recommendation of experts gathered in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Round Table on hunger measurement, hosted at FAO headquarters in September 2011, an initial set of indicators aiming to capture various aspects of food insecurity is presented here. The choice of the indicators has been informed by expert judgement and the availability of data with sufficient coverage to enable comparisons across regions and over time. Many of these indicators are produced and published elsewhere by FAO and other international organizations. They are reported here in a single database with the aim of building a wide food security information system. More indicators will be added to this set as more data will become available. Indicators are classified along the four dimensions of food security -- availability, access, utilization and stability.