2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Africa
Africa: 2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) was 21 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Africa, 2015–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Africa is 21 %, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and up 22.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Africa peaked at 21.1 % in 2023 and was at its lowest, 17.2 %, in 2015.
That places Africa 7th out of 37 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 17.2 % | — |
| 2016 | 17.8 % | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 18.4 % | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 18.5 % | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 19.2 % | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 20.1 % | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 20.7 % | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 20.8 % | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 21.1 % | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 21 % | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 18.22 % | 17.2 % | 19.2 % | 5 |
| 2020s | 20.74 % | 20.1 % | 21.1 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa
- 4 Liberia 36.3 % compare
- 4 United Republic of Tanzania 22.3 % compare
- 5 Afghanistan 34.5 % compare
- 6 Sierra Leone 31.5 % compare
- 7 Namibia 28.9 % compare
- 8 Kenya 27.2 % compare
- 8 Republic of Moldova 7.4 % compare
- 9 Eswatini 27.1 % compare
- 9 Lao People's Democratic Republic 5.8 % compare
- 10 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 4 % compare
- 10 Nigeria 26.7 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Africa
- Roots and Tubers, Total — Yield, annual growth rate -0.422 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sugar Crops Primary — Production, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sugar Crops Primary — Yield, annual growth rate 1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sugar Crops Primary — Area harvested, annual growth rate 0.2698 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep and Goats — Stocks, annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep and Goat Meat — Producing Animals/Slaughtered, annual growth 0.5254 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep and Goat Meat — Production, annual growth rate 2.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep and Goat Meat — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Roots and Tubers, Total — Production, annual growth rate 1.94 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Oil Equivalent — Production, annual growth rate -1.55 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Africa?
- 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Africa was 21 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) recorded in Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1 % in 2023.
- What is the lowest 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) recorded in Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.2 % in 2015.
- How does Africa rank for 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over)?
- Africa ranks 7th out of 37 groups with data for 2024.
- Is 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) rising or falling in Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this 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 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.
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.