Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Western Asia and Northern Africa
Western Asia and Northern Africa: Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) was 210.3 million No in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Western Asia and Northern Africa, 2014–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in million No.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Western Asia and Northern Africa is 210.3 million No, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 37.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Western Asia and Northern Africa peaked at 211.3 million No in 2022 and was at its lowest, 152.6 million No, in 2014.
Western Asia and Northern Africa ranks 14th of 37 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Western Asia and Northern Africa, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 152.6 million No | — |
| 2015 | 160.6 million No | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 167.6 million No | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 171.2 million No | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 176.8 million No | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 191.2 million No | +8.1% |
| 2020 | 203.6 million No | +6.5% |
| 2021 | 210.6 million No | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 211.3 million No | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 210.3 million No | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 170 million No | 152.6 million No | 191.2 million No | 6 |
| 2020s | 208.95 million No | 203.6 million No | 211.3 million No | 4 |
Countries ranked near Western Asia and Northern Africa
More agriculture & rural data for Western Asia and Northern Africa
- Minimum dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 1,828 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Average dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 2,365 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Per capita food supply variability (kcal/cap/day) — Value 25 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) 31.6 % (2024)
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight 7.4 % (2024)
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) 18.1 % (2024)
- Gross domestic product per capita, PPP, (constant 2021 international) 23,360 Int$/cap (2024)
- Percentage of population using at least basic sanitation services 91 % (2024)
- Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value 119 million No (2024)
- Dietary energy supply used in the estimation of the prevalence of 3,028 kcal/cap/d (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Western Asia and Northern Africa was 210.3 million No in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) recorded in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 211.3 million No in 2022.
- What is the lowest number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) recorded in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 152.6 million No in 2014.
- How does Western Asia and Northern Africa rank for number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million)?
- Western Asia and Northern Africa ranks 14th out of 37 groups with data for 2023.
- Is number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) rising or falling in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western Asia and Northern Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Upper bound. 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 Food Security Indicators presents the core set of food security indicators. Following the recommendation of experts gathered in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Round Table on hunger measurement, hosted at FAO headquarters in September 2011, an initial set of indicators aiming to capture various aspects of food insecurity is presented here. The choice of the indicators has been informed by expert judgement and the availability of data with sufficient coverage to enable comparisons across regions and over time. Many of these indicators are produced and published elsewhere by FAO and other international organizations. They are reported here in a single database with the aim of building a wide food security information system. More indicators will be added to this set as more data will become available. Indicators are classified along the four dimensions of food security -- availability, access, utilization and stability.