Food loss percentage in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Food loss percentage was 23.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
23.0%
Change on year
up 0.4%
Rank
2nd
of 32 groups
All-time high
23.0%
in 2020
All-time low
21.8%
in 2017
Years of data
9
2015–2023
Food loss percentage in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2015–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, food loss percentage in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 23.0%. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food loss percentage in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 23.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 21.8%, in 2017.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd of 32 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
Food loss percentage in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 22.1% | — |
| 2016 | 22.0% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 21.8% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 22.6% | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 22.9% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 23.0% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 23.0% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 22.9% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 23.0% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 22.3% | 21.8% | 22.9% | 5 |
| 2020s | 23.0% | 22.9% | 23.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 1 Melanesia 15.2% compare
- 2 Polynesia 14.0% compare
- 3 Australia and New Zealand 13.8% compare
- 4 Micronesia 7.4% 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 food loss percentage in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Food loss percentage in Sub-Saharan Africa was 23.0% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest food loss percentage recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 23.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest food loss percentage recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.8% in 2017.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for food loss percentage?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd out of 32 groups with data for 2023.
- Is food loss percentage rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Food loss percentage (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).