Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) — Value by country
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...
What the numbers show
Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) — Value is currently reported for 115 countries. The highest value is 178.1 million No in Nigeria; the lowest is 0.2 million No in Slovenia.
The median across all reporting countries is 3.2 million No, and the mean is 10.23 million No.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 890.
Over the past decade 79 countries rose and 29 fell. The largest increase was in Paraguay (up 260.0%), and the largest decrease in Russian Federation (down 68.3%).
Number of moderately or severely food insecure people (million): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigeria | 178.1 million No | 2023 | up 169.4% | rising |
| 2 | Ethiopia | 79.4 million No | 2023 | up 36.0% | rising |
| 3 | Pakistan | 57.5 million No | 2023 | up 88.5% | rising |
| 4 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 89.3 million No | 2023 | up 38.7% | rising |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 45.4 million No | 2023 | down 7.0% | falling |
| 5 | Kenya | 40.5 million No | 2023 | up 69.5% | rising |
| 6 | Philippines | 37.8 million No | 2023 | down 16.2% | falling |
| 7 | Egypt | 34.9 million No | 2023 | up 26.4% | rising |
| 8 | Afghanistan | 33.2 million No | 2023 | up 118.4% | rising |
| 8 | Viet Nam | 9.5 million No | 2023 | up 61.0% | rising |
| 9 | Yemen | 30.2 million No | 2023 | up 112.7% | rising |
| 10 | Angola | 28.6 million No | 2023 | up 21.2% | rising |
| 11 | Uganda | 25.8 million No | 2023 | up 3.6% | flat |
| 12 | Mexico | 21.6 million No | 2023 | down 28.5% | falling |
| 13 | Brazil | 20.3 million No | 2023 | down 24.3% | flat |
| 14 | Madagascar | 19.5 million No | 2023 | up 21.9% | rising |
| 15 | Cameroon | 17.7 million No | 2023 | up 55.3% | rising |
| 15 | Malawi | 17.7 million No | 2023 | up 32.1% | rising |
| 17 | Myanmar | 17.1 million No | 2023 | up 46.2% | rising |
| 18 | Ghana | 15 million No | 2023 | up 36.4% | rising |
| 19 | Colombia | 14.8 million No | 2023 | up 57.4% | rising |
| 20 | Argentina | 14.5 million No | 2023 | up 74.7% | rising |
| 21 | Niger | 13.6 million No | 2023 | up 27.1% | rising |
| 22 | South Africa | 13.3 million No | 2023 | up 30.4% | rising |
| 23 | Chad | 13.1 million No | 2023 | up 31.0% | rising |
| 24 | Ukraine | 12.2 million No | 2023 | up 34.1% | rising |
| 25 | Indonesia | 11.8 million No | 2023 | down 24.8% | falling |
| 26 | Zimbabwe | 11.7 million No | 2023 | up 25.8% | rising |
| 27 | Peru | 11.5 million No | 2023 | up 42.0% | rising |
| 28 | South Sudan | 10.5 million No | 2023 | up 18.0% | rising |
| 29 | Nepal | 10.4 million No | 2023 | up 26.8% | rising |
| 30 | Haiti | 9.8 million No | 2023 | up 6.5% | rising |
| 30 | Zambia | 9.8 million No | 2023 | up 16.7% | rising |
| 32 | Burkina Faso | 9.7 million No | 2023 | up 26.0% | rising |
| 33 | Benin | 9.5 million No | 2023 | up 50.8% | rising |
| 34 | Guatemala | 9 million No | 2023 | up 32.4% | rising |
| 35 | Algeria | 8.2 million No | 2023 | down 10.9% | flat |
| 36 | Japan | 7.6 million No | 2023 | up 130.3% | rising |
| 36 | Sierra Leone | 7.6 million No | 2023 | up 43.4% | rising |
| 37 | Cabo Verde | 0.2 million No | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 38 | Cambodia | 6.4 million No | 2023 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 39 | France | 6.2 million No | 2023 | up 40.9% | rising |
| 40 | Ecuador | 5.6 million No | 2023 | up 64.7% | rising |
| 41 | Malaysia | 5.5 million No | 2023 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 42 | Senegal | 5.1 million No | 2023 | down 10.5% | falling |
| 42 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 5.1 million No | 2023 | up 24.4% | rising |
| 44 | Mali | 5 million No | 2023 | down 2.0% | falling |
| 44 | Australia and New Zealand | 5 million No | 2023 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 46 | Dominican Republic | 4.7 million No | 2023 | down 17.5% | falling |
| 46 | Togo | 4.7 million No | 2023 | up 9.3% | rising |
| 48 | Liberia | 4.4 million No | 2023 | up 18.9% | rising |
| 49 | Honduras | 4.3 million No | 2023 | up 13.2% | rising |
| 50 | Canada | 4.2 million No | 2023 | up 133.3% | rising |
| 51 | Australia | 4 million No | 2023 | up 53.8% | rising |
| 52 | Russian Federation | 3.8 million No | 2023 | down 68.3% | falling |
| 53 | Spain | 3.6 million No | 2023 | up 9.1% | flat |
| 54 | Germany | 3.5 million No | 2023 | up 6.1% | rising |
| 55 | Mauritania | 3.4 million No | 2023 | up 240.0% | rising |
| 56 | Chile | 3.2 million No | 2023 | up 68.4% | rising |
| 56 | Thailand | 3.2 million No | 2023 | down 5.9% | flat |
| 58 | Tunisia | 3 million No | 2023 | up 42.9% | rising |
| 58 | Republic of Korea | 3 million No | 2023 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 60 | Romania | 2.9 million No | 2023 | down 23.7% | flat |
| 61 | Lebanon | 2.6 million No | 2023 | up 188.9% | rising |
| 61 | El Salvador | 2.6 million No | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 63 | Tajikistan | 2.5 million No | 2023 | up 56.2% | rising |
| 64 | Libya | 2.3 million No | 2023 | up 21.1% | rising |
| 64 | Sri Lanka | 2.3 million No | 2023 | up 76.9% | rising |
| 66 | Paraguay | 1.8 million No | 2023 | up 260.0% | rising |
| 67 | Hungary | 1.6 million No | 2023 | up 45.5% | rising |
| 67 | Jamaica | 1.6 million No | 2023 | up 14.3% | rising |
| 67 | Namibia | 1.6 million No | 2023 | up 23.1% | rising |
| 67 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 1.6 million No | 2023 | up 60.0% | rising |
| 71 | Azerbaijan | 1.5 million No | 2023 | up 150.0% | rising |
| 71 | Palestine, State of | 1.5 million No | 2021 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 73 | Lesotho | 1.4 million No | 2023 | up 27.3% | rising |
| 74 | Botswana | 1.3 million No | 2023 | up 30.0% | rising |
| 74 | Gambia | 1.3 million No | 2023 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 74 | Guinea-Bissau | 1.3 million No | 2021 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 77 | Portugal | 1.2 million No | 2023 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 78 | Belgium | 1.1 million No | 2023 | up 175.0% | rising |
| 78 | Poland | 1.1 million No | 2023 | down 67.6% | falling |
| 80 | Czechia | 1 million No | 2023 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 81 | Albania | 0.9 million No | 2023 | down 18.2% | falling |
| 81 | Georgia | 0.9 million No | 2023 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 81 | New Zealand | 0.9 million No | 2023 | up 80.0% | rising |
| 84 | Israel | 0.8 million No | 2023 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 84 | Sweden | 0.8 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 84 | Eswatini | 0.8 million No | 2023 | — | rising |
| 87 | Bulgaria | 0.7 million No | 2023 | down 36.4% | falling |
| 87 | Costa Rica | 0.7 million No | 2023 | up 16.7% | rising |
| 87 | Finland | 0.7 million No | 2023 | up 40.0% | rising |
| 87 | Greece | 0.7 million No | 2023 | down 58.8% | falling |
| 91 | Singapore | 0.6 million No | 2023 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 91 | Serbia | 0.6 million No | 2023 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 93 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.5 million No | 2023 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 93 | Kuwait | 0.5 million No | 2023 | unchanged | falling |
| 93 | Uruguay | 0.5 million No | 2023 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 96 | Austria | 0.4 million No | 2023 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 96 | Denmark | 0.4 million No | 2023 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 96 | Mauritius | 0.4 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 96 | Norway | 0.4 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 96 | Slovakia | 0.4 million No | 2023 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 101 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.3 million No | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 101 | Ireland | 0.3 million No | 2023 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 101 | Kazakhstan | 0.3 million No | 2023 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 104 | Armenia | 0.2 million No | 2023 | down 60.0% | falling |
| 104 | Switzerland | 0.2 million No | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 104 | Estonia | 0.2 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 104 | Croatia | 0.2 million No | 2023 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 104 | Lithuania | 0.2 million No | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 104 | Latvia | 0.2 million No | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 104 | North Macedonia | 0.2 million No | 2023 | down 33.3% | flat |
| 104 | Mongolia | 0.2 million No | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 104 | Slovenia | 0.2 million No | 2023 | down 33.3% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- World 2,186 million No
- Asia 1,047 million No
- Lower-middle-income economies 1,220 million No
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 661.8 million No
- Africa 869.4 million No
- Middle Africa 162.2 million No
- Sub-Saharan Africa 778.2 million No
- Central Asia and Southern Asia 734.6 million No
- United Republic of Tanzania 39.1 million No
- Southern Asia 721.3 million No
- Small island developing states (SIDS) 35.2 million No
- Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) 598.4 million No
- Iran (Islamic Republic of) 34.5 million No
- Low-income economies 400.9 million No
- Upper-middle-income economies 356.4 million No
- Melanesia 7 million No
- Eastern Africa 315.1 million No
- Lao People's Democratic Republic 2.7 million No
- Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) 291.7 million No
- Republic of Moldova 0.8 million No
- Western Africa 282.4 million No
- Western Asia and Northern Africa 204.5 million No
- Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia 199.5 million No
- Latin America and the Caribbean 160.6 million No
- Western Asia 113.3 million No
- High-income economies 110.6 million No
- Eastern Asia 104 million No
- Northern America and Europe 96 million No
- South-Eastern Asia 95.5 million No
- South America 93.6 million No
- Northern Africa 91.2 million No
- Europe 54.9 million No
- Central America 43.6 million No
- Northern America 41.1 million No
- United States of America 36.9 million No
- Eastern Europe 24.6 million No
- Caribbean 23.4 million No
- Southern Africa 18.5 million No
- Central Asia 13.3 million No
- Western Europe 13.1 million No
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.