2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: 2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) was 22.4 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2015–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 22.4 % for 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in 2024.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 22.6 % in 2022 and was at its lowest, 18.2 %, in 2015.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th of 37 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 18.2 % | — |
| 2016 | 19.6 % | +7.7% |
| 2017 | 20.4 % | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 20.5 % | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 21 % | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 21.9 % | +4.3% |
| 2021 | 22.5 % | +2.7% |
| 2022 | 22.6 % | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 22.6 % | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 22.4 % | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 19.94 % | 18.2 % | 21 % | 5 |
| 2020s | 22.4 % | 21.9 % | 22.6 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 3 Haiti 45.4 % compare
- 3 Melanesia 24.8 % compare
- 4 Liberia 34.7 % compare
- 4 United Republic of Tanzania 23.6 % compare
- 5 Sierra Leone 32.3 % compare
- 6 Jamaica 29.3 % compare
- 7 Namibia 27.3 % compare
- 8 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 5.6 % compare
- 8 Nigeria 26.1 % compare
- 9 Afghanistan 25.8 % compare
- 9 Lao People's Democratic Republic 5.2 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1791 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 299.6 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 395.96 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 17.9% (2025)
- Rural population 731.42 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 22.4 % 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 22.6 % in 2022.
- What is the lowest 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.2 % in 2015.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan 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 — Male — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.