2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Western Africa
Western Africa: 2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) was 19.5 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Western Africa, 2015–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Western Africa stood at 19.5 %. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.3% on the previous year and up 66.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Western Africa peaked at 19.5 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.7 %, in 2015.
Western Africa ranks 8th of 37 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Western Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 11.7 % | — |
| 2016 | 13.1 % | +12.0% |
| 2017 | 13.7 % | +4.6% |
| 2018 | 14 % | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 14.7 % | +5.0% |
| 2020 | 15.9 % | +8.2% |
| 2021 | 16.8 % | +5.7% |
| 2022 | 17.7 % | +5.4% |
| 2023 | 18.7 % | +5.6% |
| 2024 | 19.5 % | +4.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 13.44 % | 11.7 % | 14.7 % | 5 |
| 2020s | 17.72 % | 15.9 % | 19.5 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Western Africa
- 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
- 10 Kenya 25.7 % compare
- 10 Republic of Moldova 4.6 % compare
- 11 Viet Nam 1.5 % compare
- 11 Zimbabwe 24.9 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Western Africa
- Sheep fat, unrendered — Production, annual growth rate 2.6 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep — Stocks, annual growth rate 2.44 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw milk of cattle — Milk Animals, annual growth rate 1.24 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw milk of cattle — Production, annual growth rate 1.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw milk of cattle — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth rate 0.4184 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs — Producing -2.05 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs — Production, annual growth rate 2.63 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of goats or kids — Producing Animals/Slaughtered 1.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of goats or kids — Production, annual growth rate -0.9422 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Western Africa?
- 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) in Western Africa was 19.5 % 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 Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 19.5 % in 2024.
- What is the lowest 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over) recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.7 % in 2015.
- How does Western Africa rank for 2.1.2 prevalence of severe food insecurity (15 years old and over)?
- Western Africa ranks 8th 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 Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 66.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western 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
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.