Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Lower bound 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 severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Lower bound is currently reported for 84 countries. The highest value is 58 million No in Nigeria; the lowest is 0.1 million No in Portugal.
The median across all reporting countries is 1.05 million No, and the mean is 3.62 million No.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 580.
Over the past decade 51 countries rose and 23 fell. The largest increase was in Pakistan (up 622.2%), and the largest decrease in Algeria (down 76.2%).
Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigeria | 58 million No | 2023 | up 195.9% | rising |
| 2 | Ethiopia | 17.8 million No | 2023 | up 38.0% | rising |
| 3 | Kenya | 14.4 million No | 2023 | up 118.2% | rising |
| 4 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 45.5 million No | 2023 | up 35.4% | rising |
| 4 | Pakistan | 13 million No | 2023 | up 622.2% | volatile |
| 5 | Malawi | 12.3 million No | 2023 | up 55.7% | rising |
| 6 | Egypt | 12 million No | 2023 | up 73.9% | rising |
| 7 | Afghanistan | 10.3 million No | 2023 | up 178.4% | rising |
| 8 | South Sudan | 7.3 million No | 2023 | up 9.0% | rising |
| 9 | Angola | 6 million No | 2023 | down 21.1% | falling |
| 9 | Viet Nam | 1.2 million No | 2023 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 10 | Cameroon | 5.9 million No | 2023 | up 47.5% | rising |
| 10 | Uganda | 5.9 million No | 2023 | down 20.3% | falling |
| 12 | Madagascar | 5.1 million No | 2023 | up 131.8% | rising |
| 13 | Haiti | 5 million No | 2023 | down 2.0% | flat |
| 14 | South Africa | 4.9 million No | 2023 | up 32.4% | rising |
| 15 | Chad | 4.8 million No | 2023 | up 6.7% | falling |
| 16 | Argentina | 4.1 million No | 2023 | up 115.8% | rising |
| 17 | Zimbabwe | 3.6 million No | 2023 | down 21.7% | falling |
| 18 | Guatemala | 3.5 million No | 2023 | up 59.1% | rising |
| 19 | Myanmar | 3.3 million No | 2023 | up 450.0% | rising |
| 19 | Zambia | 3.3 million No | 2023 | down 2.9% | falling |
| 21 | Mexico | 3.2 million No | 2023 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 21 | Philippines | 3.2 million No | 2023 | up 6.7% | falling |
| 23 | Nepal | 3.1 million No | 2023 | up 29.2% | rising |
| 24 | Ghana | 2.8 million No | 2023 | up 133.3% | rising |
| 25 | Colombia | 2.6 million No | 2023 | up 18.2% | rising |
| 26 | Sierra Leone | 2.4 million No | 2023 | up 26.3% | rising |
| 27 | Liberia | 1.9 million No | 2023 | up 18.8% | rising |
| 27 | Niger | 1.9 million No | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 27 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 1.9 million No | 2023 | up 137.5% | volatile |
| 30 | Benin | 1.7 million No | 2023 | up 70.0% | rising |
| 30 | Dominican Republic | 1.7 million No | 2023 | down 26.1% | falling |
| 30 | France | 1.7 million No | 2023 | up 240.0% | volatile |
| 33 | Ecuador | 1.5 million No | 2023 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 33 | Honduras | 1.5 million No | 2023 | up 15.4% | rising |
| 33 | Ukraine | 1.5 million No | 2023 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 36 | Burkina Faso | 1.4 million No | 2023 | up 40.0% | rising |
| 36 | Malaysia | 1.4 million No | 2023 | down 30.0% | falling |
| 38 | Peru | 1.2 million No | 2023 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 38 | Australia and New Zealand | 1.2 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 40 | Brazil | 1.1 million No | 2023 | down 15.4% | volatile |
| 41 | Algeria | 1 million No | 2023 | down 76.2% | falling |
| 41 | Japan | 1 million No | 2023 | up 400.0% | rising |
| 43 | Australia | 0.9 million No | 2023 | up 80.0% | rising |
| 43 | Libya | 0.9 million No | 2023 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 45 | Namibia | 0.8 million No | 2023 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 46 | Canada | 0.7 million No | 2023 | up 600.0% | volatile |
| 46 | Jamaica | 0.7 million No | 2023 | up 16.7% | rising |
| 46 | Romania | 0.7 million No | 2023 | down 22.2% | rising |
| 46 | Tunisia | 0.7 million No | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 50 | Chile | 0.6 million No | 2023 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 50 | Mauritania | 0.6 million No | 2023 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 50 | El Salvador | 0.6 million No | 2023 | down 25.0% | flat |
| 50 | Togo | 0.6 million No | 2023 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 54 | Botswana | 0.5 million No | 2023 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 54 | Spain | 0.5 million No | 2023 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 54 | Lebanon | 0.5 million No | 2023 | up 150.0% | rising |
| 54 | Lesotho | 0.5 million No | 2023 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 58 | Gambia | 0.4 million No | 2023 | down 20.0% | flat |
| 58 | Mali | 0.4 million No | 2023 | down 20.0% | falling |
| 58 | Paraguay | 0.4 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 58 | Senegal | 0.4 million No | 2023 | down 55.6% | falling |
| 58 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 0.4 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 63 | Hungary | 0.3 million No | 2023 | — | rising |
| 63 | Cambodia | 0.3 million No | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 63 | Eswatini | 0.3 million No | 2023 | — | rising |
| 63 | Thailand | 0.3 million No | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 63 | Tajikistan | 0.3 million No | 2023 | unchanged | falling |
| 63 | Republic of Korea | 0.3 million No | 2023 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 69 | Albania | 0.2 million No | 2023 | unchanged | falling |
| 69 | Germany | 0.2 million No | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 69 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.2 million No | 2021 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 69 | Kuwait | 0.2 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | falling |
| 69 | Sri Lanka | 0.2 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 69 | New Zealand | 0.2 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 69 | Poland | 0.2 million No | 2021 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 69 | Palestine, State of | 0.2 million No | 2021 | unchanged | falling |
| 69 | Serbia | 0.2 million No | 2021 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 78 | Costa Rica | 0.1 million No | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 78 | Georgia | 0.1 million No | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 78 | Greece | 0.1 million No | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 78 | Ireland | 0.1 million No | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 78 | Portugal | 0.1 million No | 2023 | down 66.7% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- World 770.3 million No
- Asia 383.8 million No
- Lower-middle-income economies 470.4 million No
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 241.1 million No
- Africa 312.9 million No
- Middle Africa 71 million No
- Central Asia and Southern Asia 308.5 million No
- Southern Asia 306.1 million No
- United Republic of Tanzania 14.6 million No
- Sub-Saharan Africa 281.1 million No
- Small island developing states (SIDS) 13.3 million No
- Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) 233.9 million No
- Iran (Islamic Republic of) 3.3 million No
- Low-income economies 167.5 million No
- Melanesia 3 million No
- Eastern Africa 112.4 million No
- Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) 91.2 million No
- Lao People's Democratic Republic 0.3 million No
- Western Africa 85.8 million No
- Republic of Moldova 0.1 million No
- Western Asia and Northern Africa 74.4 million No
- Upper-middle-income economies 71.4 million No
- Western Asia 43.3 million No
- Latin America and the Caribbean 41.7 million No
- Northern Africa 29.9 million No
- Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia 26.7 million No
- High-income economies 22.7 million No
- South America 19.5 million No
- Northern America and Europe 17.3 million No
- Eastern Asia 13.7 million No
- Europe 13 million No
- South-Eastern Asia 11.9 million No
- Central America 11.7 million No
- Caribbean 9 million No
- Southern Africa 7.2 million No
- Oceania 4.4 million No
- Northern America 4.1 million No
- Eastern Europe 3.8 million No
- Western Europe 3.4 million No
- United States of America 3.3 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.