2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Malawi
Malawi: 2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) was 59.6 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Malawi, 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 Malawi is 59.6 %, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 19.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Malawi peaked at 59.6 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 49.9 %, in 2015.
Malawi ranks 2nd of 119 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 49.9 % | — |
| 2016 | 50.8 % | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 52.1 % | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 50.6 % | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 51.9 % | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 53.4 % | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 53.8 % | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 55 % | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 56.9 % | +3.5% |
| 2024 | 59.6 % | +4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 51.06 % | 49.9 % | 52.1 % | 5 |
| 2020s | 55.74 % | 53.4 % | 59.6 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 1 Democratic Republic of the Congo 44.3 % compare
- 1 South Sudan 62.9 % compare
- 3 Haiti 45.4 % compare
- 3 Melanesia 24.7 % compare
- 4 Liberia 36.3 % compare
- 4 United Republic of Tanzania 22.3 % compare
- 5 Afghanistan 34.5 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Malawi
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 24.6 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.3003 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 201.66 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 2.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.8241 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 30.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 30.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Malawi?
- 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Malawi was 59.6 % 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 59.6 % in 2024.
- What is the lowest 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.9 % in 2015.
- How does Malawi rank for 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over)?
- Malawi ranks 2nd out of 119 countries with data for 2024.
- Is 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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.