Number of people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — Value in Western Asia and Northern Africa
Western Asia and Northern Africa: Number of people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — Value was 65.9 million No in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — Value in Western Asia and Northern Africa, 2000–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in million No.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — value in Western Asia and Northern Africa is 65.9 million No, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.8% on the previous year and up 88.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — value in Western Asia and Northern Africa peaked at 65.9 million No in 2023 and was at its lowest, 27.6 million No, in 2008.
That places Western Asia and Northern Africa 13th out of 27 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Number of people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — Value in Western Asia and Northern Africa, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 49.5 million No | — |
| 2001 | 50.4 million No | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 49.5 million No | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 46.6 million No | -5.9% |
| 2004 | 41 million No | -12.0% |
| 2005 | 35.9 million No | -12.4% |
| 2006 | 31.8 million No | -11.4% |
| 2007 | 29.2 million No | -8.2% |
| 2008 | 27.6 million No | -5.5% |
| 2009 | 28.1 million No | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 29.3 million No | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 31.4 million No | +7.2% |
| 2012 | 32.7 million No | +4.1% |
| 2013 | 35 million No | +7.0% |
| 2014 | 38.4 million No | +9.7% |
| 2015 | 41.3 million No | +7.6% |
| 2016 | 43.3 million No | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 44.3 million No | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 46.1 million No | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 49 million No | +6.3% |
| 2020 | 52.3 million No | +6.7% |
| 2021 | 57.6 million No | +10.1% |
| 2022 | 61.7 million No | +7.1% |
| 2023 | 65.9 million No | +6.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 38.96 million No | 27.6 million No | 50.4 million No | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.08 million No | 29.3 million No | 49 million No | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.38 million No | 52.3 million No | 65.9 million No | 4 |
Countries ranked near Western Asia and Northern Africa
- 10 Madagascar 13.3 million No compare
- 10 Viet Nam 6.1 million No compare
- 11 Afghanistan 11.9 million No compare
- 11 Melanesia 3.5 million No compare
- 12 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 2.4 million No compare
- 12 Somalia 10.7 million No compare
- 13 Türkiye 2.3 million No compare
- 13 Uganda 10.4 million No compare
- 14 Egypt 9.8 million No compare
- 14 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 1.5 million No compare
- 15 Lao People's Democratic Republic 0.8 million No compare
- 15 Zambia 8.7 million No compare
- 16 Mozambique 7.7 million No compare
- 16 Timor-Leste 0.2 million No compare
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 people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — value in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- Number of people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — value in Western Asia and Northern Africa was 65.9 million No in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest number of people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — value recorded in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 65.9 million No in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — value recorded in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.6 million No in 2008.
- How does Western Asia and Northern Africa rank for number of people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — value?
- Western Asia and Northern Africa ranks 13th out of 27 groups with data for 2023.
- Is number of people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — value rising or falling in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 88.3%. 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 people undernourished (million) (3-year average) — Value. 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.