2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Southern Africa

Southern Africa: 2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) was 25.6 % in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
25.6 %
Change on year
up 4.1%
Rank
20th
of 37 groups
All-time high
25.6 %
in 2024
All-time low
22.7 %
in 2015
Years of data
10
2015–2024

2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Southern Africa, 2015–2024

01020302015201920242015: 22.7 %2016: 22.8 %2017: 22.9 %2018: 22.9 %2019: 23.8 %2020: 24.8 %2021: 24.4 %2022: 24.9 %2023: 24.6 %2024: 25.6 %

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Southern Africa stood at 25.6 %. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

That represents a change of up 4.1% on the previous year and up 12.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Southern Africa peaked at 25.6 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 22.7 %, in 2015.

That places Southern Africa 20th out of 37 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Southern Africa, year by year

Annual values for 2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) (no breakdown by urbanisation) — Value — Female — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National in Southern Africa, 2015 to 2024.
Year % Change
2015 22.7 %
2016 22.8 % +0.4%
2017 22.9 % +0.4%
2018 22.9 % +0.0%
2019 23.8 % +3.9%
2020 24.8 % +4.2%
2021 24.4 % -1.6%
2022 24.9 % +2.0%
2023 24.6 % -1.2%
2024 25.6 % +4.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 23.02 % 22.7 % 23.8 % 5
2020s 24.86 % 24.4 % 25.6 % 5

Countries ranked near Southern Africa

  1. 17 Cabo Verde 32.1 % compare
  2. 17 Lesotho 62.1 % compare
  3. 18 Cameroon 61.2 % compare
  4. 19 Madagascar 60.7 % compare
  5. 20 Ethiopia 60 % compare
  6. 21 Togo 56.9 % compare
  7. 22 Namibia 55.8 % compare
  8. 23 Botswana 54.3 % compare

See the full ranking of 169 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Southern Africa

All data for Southern Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Southern Africa?
2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Southern Africa was 25.6 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) recorded in Southern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 25.6 % in 2024.
What is the lowest 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) recorded in Southern Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 22.7 % in 2015.
How does Southern Africa rank for 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old)?
Southern Africa ranks 20th out of 37 groups with data for 2024.
Is 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) rising or falling in Southern Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Southern Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of 2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) (no breakdown by urbanisation) — Value — Female — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Southern Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/2-1-2-prevalence-of-moderate-or-severe-food-insecurity-15-years-old-and-over-no-breakdown-2/southern-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) (no breakdown by urbanisation) — Value — Female — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
169 places, 1,581 data points, 2015–2024
Last refreshed

The Suite of Gender Indicators presents a set of indicators relevant to agrifood systems that are disaggregated by sex, with the aim of highlighting gender differences across agrifood systems. The initial set of indicators is based on those used in FAO’s 2023 Status of Women in Agrifood Systems (SWAFS) report and on the recommendations of an expert consultation held in December 2023, and covers key dimensions including economic participation, governance, agency, social norms, assets and services, education, health, and nutrition. Indicator selection was informed by expert judgment and by the availability of data with sufficient geographic and temporal coverage to enable meaningful comparisons across regions and over time. While most indicators are produced and published by FAO and other international organizations, the objective of this domain is to provide a one-stop shop for sex-disaggregated data on agrifood systems.