Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean: Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) was 158.1 million No in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Latin America and the Caribbean, 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 Latin America and the Caribbean is 158.1 million No, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 7.4% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Latin America and the Caribbean peaked at 202.7 million No in 2020 and was at its lowest, 146.6 million No, in 2014.
That places Latin America and the Caribbean 15th out of 37 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Latin America and the Caribbean, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 146.6 million No | — |
| 2015 | 162.4 million No | +10.8% |
| 2016 | 170.9 million No | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 173.3 million No | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 184.2 million No | +6.3% |
| 2019 | 197.6 million No | +7.3% |
| 2020 | 202.7 million No | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 188.6 million No | -7.0% |
| 2022 | 170.8 million No | -9.4% |
| 2023 | 158.1 million No | -7.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 172.5 million No | 146.6 million No | 197.6 million No | 6 |
| 2020s | 180.05 million No | 158.1 million No | 202.7 million No | 4 |
Countries ranked near Latin America and the Caribbean
More agriculture & rural data for Latin America and the Caribbean
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Share of employment in agriculture in 7.12 % (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Share of employment in agriculture in 16.69 % (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Share of employment in agriculture in 12.72 % (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Employment in agriculture - ILO 9,098 1000 No (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Employment in agriculture - ILO 29,996 1000 No (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Employment in agriculture - ILO 39,094 1000 No (2025)
- Minimum dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 1,861 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Average dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 2,409 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Per capita food supply variability (kcal/cap/day) — Value 13 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight 8.8 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) in Latin America and the Caribbean was 158.1 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 Latin America and the Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 202.7 million No in 2020.
- What is the lowest number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 146.6 million No in 2014.
- How does Latin America and the Caribbean rank for number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million)?
- Latin America and the Caribbean ranks 15th out of 37 groups with data for 2023.
- Is number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) rising or falling in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America and the Caribbean 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: Lower bound. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.