2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Zambia
Zambia: 2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) was 44.6 % in 2024. ▼ Falling
2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Zambia, 2015–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 44.6 % for 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Zambia peaked at 54.2 % in 2018 and was at its lowest, 44.4 %, in 2023.
Zambia ranks 29th of 121 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 51.2 % | — |
| 2016 | 52.4 % | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 52 % | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 54.2 % | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 52.5 % | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 51.7 % | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 48.1 % | -7.0% |
| 2022 | 45.8 % | -4.8% |
| 2023 | 44.4 % | -3.1% |
| 2024 | 44.6 % | +0.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 44.6 % is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 43.85 %, 1.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 44.6 % is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 60.45 %, 74% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 52.46 % | 51.2 % | 54.2 % | 5 |
| 2020s | 46.92 % | 44.4 % | 51.7 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More agriculture & rural data for Zambia
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 65.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0411 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 54.11 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5408 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 4.1% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 4.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Zambia?
- 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) in Zambia was 44.6 % 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 54.2 % in 2018.
- What is the lowest 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.4 % in 2023.
- How does Zambia rank for 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old)?
- Zambia ranks 29th out of 121 countries with data for 2024.
- Is 2.1.2 prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old) rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.9%. 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, published as part of 2.1.2 Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) (no breakdown by urbanisation) — Value — Male — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
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.