2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (both sexes or no breakdown by sex) (all age ranges or no breakdown by age) (no breakdown by urbanisation) — Confidence interval: Lower bound by country
As the custodian agency of 22 SDG indicators, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is responsible for curating and refining the methodologies of these indicators, collecting data from national sources, ensuring their quality and compatibility with applicable standards and...
What the numbers show
2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (both sexes or no breakdown by sex) (all age ranges or no breakdown by age) (no breakdown by urbanisation) — Confidence interval: Lower bound is currently reported for 112 countries. The highest value is 61.2 % in South Sudan; the lowest is 0.5 % in Lithuania.
The median across all reporting countries is 4 %, and the mean is 9.04 %.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 122.
Over the past decade 60 countries rose and 47 fell. The largest increase was in Pakistan (up 550.0%), and the largest decrease in Algeria (down 79.8%).
2.1.2 Prevalence of severe food insecurity (both sexes or no): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Sudan | 61.2 % | 2024 | down 4.5% | flat |
| 1 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 41.7 % | 2024 | up 15.5% | rising |
| 2 | Malawi | 56.6 % | 2024 | up 22.8% | rising |
| 3 | Haiti | 42.2 % | 2024 | down 8.5% | falling |
| 3 | Melanesia | 23.4 % | 2025 | up 3.1% | flat |
| 4 | Liberia | 33 % | 2024 | down 5.2% | flat |
| 4 | United Republic of Tanzania | 21.2 % | 2024 | up 12.8% | rising |
| 5 | Sierra Leone | 27.9 % | 2024 | up 4.9% | falling |
| 6 | Namibia | 26.2 % | 2024 | down 3.0% | flat |
| 7 | Kenya | 25.4 % | 2024 | up 81.4% | rising |
| 8 | Nigeria | 24.9 % | 2024 | up 141.7% | rising |
| 8 | Republic of Moldova | 4.1 % | 2024 | up 310.0% | rising |
| 8 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 4.1 % | 2024 | down 40.6% | falling |
| 9 | Afghanistan | 24.1 % | 2024 | up 119.1% | rising |
| 10 | Chad | 23.9 % | 2024 | down 21.4% | falling |
| 10 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 3.6 % | 2024 | down 55.6% | falling |
| 11 | Jamaica | 23.8 % | 2024 | up 8.7% | rising |
| 11 | Viet Nam | 1.1 % | 2024 | — | rising |
| 12 | Lesotho | 22.8 % | 2024 | down 10.2% | falling |
| 13 | Eswatini | 21.8 % | 2024 | — | rising |
| 14 | Zimbabwe | 21.5 % | 2024 | down 33.2% | falling |
| 15 | Cameroon | 20.4 % | 2024 | up 16.6% | flat |
| 16 | Guatemala | 19.2 % | 2024 | up 37.1% | rising |
| 16 | Côte d'Ivoire | 7.1 % | 2024 | up 34.0% | rising |
| 17 | Botswana | 17.9 % | 2024 | up 19.3% | rising |
| 18 | Madagascar | 15.8 % | 2024 | up 95.1% | rising |
| 19 | Angola | 15.7 % | 2024 | down 33.2% | falling |
| 19 | Zambia | 15.7 % | 2024 | down 24.9% | falling |
| 19 | Cabo Verde | 5.1 % | 2024 | down 32.9% | falling |
| 21 | Gambia | 15.1 % | 2024 | down 28.1% | falling |
| 22 | Dominican Republic | 14.9 % | 2024 | down 33.5% | falling |
| 23 | Honduras | 13.7 % | 2024 | down 1.4% | rising |
| 24 | Ethiopia | 13.5 % | 2024 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 25 | Libya | 12.2 % | 2024 | up 28.4% | rising |
| 26 | Uganda | 11.9 % | 2024 | down 39.6% | falling |
| 27 | Mauritania | 11.8 % | 2024 | up 202.6% | rising |
| 28 | Benin | 11.6 % | 2024 | up 26.1% | rising |
| 29 | Egypt | 10.3 % | 2024 | up 49.3% | rising |
| 29 | Nepal | 10.3 % | 2024 | up 21.2% | rising |
| 31 | Mauritius | 9.9 % | 2024 | up 141.5% | rising |
| 31 | El Salvador | 9.9 % | 2024 | down 18.9% | flat |
| 33 | Argentina | 9 % | 2024 | up 109.3% | rising |
| 34 | Lebanon | 8.5 % | 2024 | up 174.2% | rising |
| 35 | Ecuador | 8.2 % | 2024 | up 148.5% | rising |
| 35 | Ghana | 8.2 % | 2024 | up 90.7% | rising |
| 37 | South Africa | 7.7 % | 2024 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 38 | Guinea-Bissau | 7.4 % | 2022 | up 4.2% | flat |
| 38 | Togo | 7.4 % | 2024 | down 49.7% | falling |
| 40 | Niger | 7 % | 2024 | down 19.5% | falling |
| 41 | Albania | 6.3 % | 2024 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 42 | Myanmar | 6.1 % | 2024 | up 408.3% | rising |
| 43 | Burkina Faso | 6 % | 2024 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 44 | Tunisia | 5.7 % | 2024 | down 5.0% | rising |
| 45 | Paraguay | 5.5 % | 2024 | up 400.0% | rising |
| 46 | Pakistan | 5.2 % | 2024 | up 550.0% | volatile |
| 47 | Colombia | 4.9 % | 2024 | up 6.5% | rising |
| 48 | Australia and New Zealand | 4.4 % | 2025 | up 131.6% | rising |
| 49 | Malaysia | 4 % | 2024 | down 37.5% | falling |
| 49 | Ukraine | 4 % | 2024 | up 263.6% | volatile |
| 51 | New Zealand | 3.9 % | 2024 | up 116.7% | rising |
| 51 | Romania | 3.9 % | 2024 | down 9.3% | rising |
| 53 | Samoa | 3.8 % | 2024 | up 65.2% | rising |
| 54 | Georgia | 3.7 % | 2024 | down 32.7% | falling |
| 55 | Australia | 3.6 % | 2024 | up 80.0% | rising |
| 56 | Palestine, State of | 3.5 % | 2022 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 57 | Kiribati | 3.4 % | 2024 | down 42.4% | falling |
| 57 | Peru | 3.4 % | 2024 | up 25.9% | rising |
| 59 | Tajikistan | 3.3 % | 2024 | up 3.1% | falling |
| 60 | Chile | 3.2 % | 2024 | up 23.1% | rising |
| 60 | Hungary | 3.2 % | 2024 | up 300.0% | volatile |
| 62 | Kuwait | 3.1 % | 2024 | down 18.4% | falling |
| 63 | Grenada | 2.7 % | 2024 | down 37.2% | falling |
| 63 | Philippines | 2.7 % | 2024 | unchanged | falling |
| 63 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 2.7 % | 2024 | up 107.7% | rising |
| 66 | France | 2.6 % | 2024 | up 271.4% | volatile |
| 67 | Singapore | 2.5 % | 2024 | up 316.7% | volatile |
| 68 | Mexico | 2.4 % | 2024 | down 27.3% | falling |
| 68 | Senegal | 2.4 % | 2024 | down 61.9% | falling |
| 70 | Ireland | 2.3 % | 2024 | down 11.5% | falling |
| 71 | Sweden | 2.2 % | 2024 | up 340.0% | volatile |
| 72 | Algeria | 2.1 % | 2024 | down 79.8% | volatile |
| 72 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 2.1 % | 2024 | up 110.0% | rising |
| 74 | Costa Rica | 2 % | 2024 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 75 | Cambodia | 1.9 % | 2024 | down 47.2% | falling |
| 75 | Uruguay | 1.9 % | 2024 | up 46.2% | rising |
| 77 | Canada | 1.8 % | 2024 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 78 | Mali | 1.7 % | 2024 | down 34.6% | falling |
| 79 | Belgium | 1.6 % | 2024 | up 166.7% | rising |
| 80 | Belize | 1.5 % | 2024 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 80 | Malta | 1.5 % | 2024 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 82 | Denmark | 1.2 % | 2024 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 82 | Greece | 1.2 % | 2024 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 82 | Portugal | 1.2 % | 2024 | down 61.3% | falling |
| 85 | Spain | 1 % | 2024 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 85 | Sri Lanka | 1 % | 2024 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 87 | Austria | 0.9 % | 2024 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 87 | Bulgaria | 0.9 % | 2024 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 87 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.9 % | 2024 | down 10.0% | rising |
| 87 | Switzerland | 0.9 % | 2024 | up 28.6% | rising |
| 87 | Finland | 0.9 % | 2024 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 87 | Iceland | 0.9 % | 2024 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 93 | Czechia | 0.8 % | 2024 | — | falling |
| 93 | North Macedonia | 0.8 % | 2024 | down 66.7% | rising |
| 93 | Serbia | 0.8 % | 2023 | down 27.3% | rising |
| 96 | Israel | 0.7 % | 2020 | down 12.5% | rising |
| 96 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.7 % | 2022 | down 12.5% | rising |
| 96 | Norway | 0.7 % | 2024 | up 40.0% | rising |
| 96 | Slovakia | 0.7 % | 2024 | up 16.7% | rising |
| 100 | Montenegro | 0.6 % | 2024 | down 57.1% | falling |
| 100 | Thailand | 0.6 % | 2023 | — | flat |
| 102 | Brazil | 0.5 % | 2024 | down 28.6% | volatile |
| 102 | Lithuania | 0.5 % | 2023 | down 68.8% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Sub-Saharan Africa 22.2 %
- Middle Africa 33.7 %
- Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand 22.1 %
- Eastern Africa 21 %
- Caribbean 20.3 %
- Africa 20.2 %
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 19.8 %
- Western Africa 19 %
- Small island developing States (SIDS) 18.5 %
- Western Asia 14.2 %
- Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) 14.2 %
- Asia 7.5 %
- Southern Asia 13.7 %
- Central Asia and Southern Asia 13.3 %
- Western Asia and Northern Africa 12.6 %
- Northern Africa 10.2 %
- Oceania 10.1 %
- Southern Africa 9.6 %
- World 9.1 %
- Central America 6 %
- Latin America and the Caribbean 5.8 %
- Americas 4.1 %
- South America 3.9 %
- Northern Europe 2.8 %
- Central Asia 2.2 %
- Western Europe 2.2 %
- Europe 1.9 %
- Northern America and Europe 1.6 %
- South-Eastern Asia 1.5 %
- Eastern Europe 1.3 %
- Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia 1.1 %
- Northern America 1 %
- Southern Europe 1 %
- United States of America 1 %
- Eastern Asia 0.8 %
About this data
As the custodian agency of 22 SDG indicators, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is responsible for curating and refining the methodologies of these indicators, collecting data from national sources, ensuring their quality and compatibility with applicable standards and classifications, and disseminating data at global level. This FAOSTAT domain complements the global SDG database administered by the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD), as well as FAO’s SDG indicators portal, by providing access to the available data for all SDG Indicators under FAO custodianship. While this metadata page provides summary information on all SDG indicators data disseminated through FAOSTAT, indicator-specific metadata can be accessed from the link on the right hand navigation column. This additional metadata file provides details on the methodology used to compile each indicators, their data sources and the contact information of the relevant FAO focal point. It includes the links to the official SDG Indicator metadata documents accessible from the UNSD global SDG database.SDG Indicators under FAO custodianship, consisting of 22 indicators and 66 series that fall under six goals: • Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.• Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.• Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.• Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production.• Goal 14: Life below water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.• Goal 15: Life on land: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss.