Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Upper 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: Upper bound is currently reported for 96 countries. The highest value is 64.8 million No in Nigeria; the lowest is 0.1 million No in Slovakia.
The median across all reporting countries is 1.3 million No, and the mean is 3.96 million No.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 648.
Over the past decade 60 countries rose and 21 fell. The largest increase was in Pakistan (up 563.6%), and the largest decrease in Greece (down 50.0%).
Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigeria | 64.8 million No | 2023 | up 188.0% | rising |
| 2 | Ethiopia | 26.1 million No | 2023 | up 50.9% | rising |
| 3 | Afghanistan | 15.5 million No | 2023 | up 146.0% | rising |
| 3 | Kenya | 15.5 million No | 2023 | up 103.9% | rising |
| 4 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 50.3 million No | 2023 | up 32.4% | rising |
| 5 | Egypt | 15.3 million No | 2023 | up 54.5% | rising |
| 6 | Pakistan | 14.6 million No | 2023 | up 563.6% | volatile |
| 7 | Malawi | 12.9 million No | 2023 | up 53.6% | rising |
| 8 | Cameroon | 8 million No | 2023 | up 29.0% | rising |
| 9 | South Sudan | 7.7 million No | 2023 | up 10.0% | rising |
| 9 | Viet Nam | 2.4 million No | 2023 | up 300.0% | volatile |
| 10 | Uganda | 6.8 million No | 2023 | down 21.8% | falling |
| 11 | Angola | 6.3 million No | 2023 | down 29.2% | falling |
| 12 | Argentina | 5.9 million No | 2023 | up 90.3% | rising |
| 13 | South Africa | 5.8 million No | 2023 | up 28.9% | rising |
| 14 | Haiti | 5.7 million No | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 14 | Madagascar | 5.7 million No | 2023 | up 90.0% | rising |
| 16 | Chad | 5.3 million No | 2023 | up 6.0% | falling |
| 17 | Myanmar | 5.2 million No | 2023 | up 271.4% | rising |
| 18 | Zimbabwe | 4.8 million No | 2023 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 19 | Guatemala | 4.7 million No | 2023 | up 62.1% | rising |
| 20 | Nepal | 4.2 million No | 2023 | up 23.5% | rising |
| 21 | Philippines | 4 million No | 2023 | down 2.4% | falling |
| 21 | Zambia | 4 million No | 2023 | up 2.6% | falling |
| 23 | Mexico | 3.8 million No | 2023 | down 13.6% | falling |
| 24 | Algeria | 3.6 million No | 2023 | down 42.9% | falling |
| 24 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 3.6 million No | 2023 | up 125.0% | rising |
| 26 | Ghana | 3.2 million No | 2023 | up 88.2% | rising |
| 27 | Sierra Leone | 3.1 million No | 2023 | up 63.2% | rising |
| 28 | Colombia | 3 million No | 2023 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 29 | France | 2.7 million No | 2023 | up 80.0% | rising |
| 30 | Ukraine | 2.6 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 31 | Ecuador | 2.5 million No | 2023 | up 78.6% | rising |
| 32 | Japan | 2.4 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 33 | Malaysia | 2.3 million No | 2023 | down 20.7% | falling |
| 34 | Benin | 2.1 million No | 2023 | up 61.5% | rising |
| 34 | Liberia | 2.1 million No | 2023 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 34 | Niger | 2.1 million No | 2023 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 37 | Burkina Faso | 2 million No | 2023 | up 42.9% | rising |
| 37 | Dominican Republic | 2 million No | 2023 | down 25.9% | falling |
| 39 | Germany | 1.6 million No | 2023 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 39 | Honduras | 1.6 million No | 2023 | up 23.1% | rising |
| 39 | Australia and New Zealand | 1.6 million No | 2023 | up 60.0% | rising |
| 42 | Australia | 1.4 million No | 2023 | up 55.6% | rising |
| 42 | Spain | 1.4 million No | 2023 | up 75.0% | rising |
| 42 | Peru | 1.4 million No | 2023 | up 40.0% | rising |
| 45 | Brazil | 1.3 million No | 2023 | down 23.5% | volatile |
| 45 | Libya | 1.3 million No | 2023 | up 62.5% | rising |
| 45 | Romania | 1.3 million No | 2023 | down 7.1% | rising |
| 48 | Tunisia | 1.2 million No | 2023 | down 14.3% | flat |
| 49 | Republic of Korea | 1 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 50 | Jamaica | 0.9 million No | 2023 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 50 | Namibia | 0.9 million No | 2023 | up 28.6% | rising |
| 50 | El Salvador | 0.9 million No | 2023 | down 10.0% | rising |
| 50 | Togo | 0.9 million No | 2023 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 54 | Canada | 0.8 million No | 2023 | up 166.7% | rising |
| 54 | Mali | 0.8 million No | 2023 | up 14.3% | falling |
| 54 | Senegal | 0.8 million No | 2023 | down 38.5% | falling |
| 54 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 0.8 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 58 | Chile | 0.7 million No | 2023 | up 16.7% | rising |
| 58 | Cambodia | 0.7 million No | 2023 | down 22.2% | falling |
| 58 | Lebanon | 0.7 million No | 2023 | up 133.3% | rising |
| 58 | Mauritania | 0.7 million No | 2023 | up 250.0% | rising |
| 58 | Tajikistan | 0.7 million No | 2023 | up 16.7% | rising |
| 63 | Botswana | 0.6 million No | 2023 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 63 | Gambia | 0.6 million No | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 63 | Hungary | 0.6 million No | 2023 | up 200.0% | volatile |
| 63 | Lesotho | 0.6 million No | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 63 | Paraguay | 0.6 million No | 2023 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 63 | Thailand | 0.6 million No | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 69 | Belgium | 0.5 million No | 2023 | up 150.0% | rising |
| 69 | Poland | 0.5 million No | 2021 | down 44.4% | falling |
| 69 | Sweden | 0.5 million No | 2023 | up 400.0% | rising |
| 72 | Portugal | 0.4 million No | 2023 | down 20.0% | flat |
| 73 | Albania | 0.3 million No | 2023 | unchanged | falling |
| 73 | Czechia | 0.3 million No | 2023 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 73 | Finland | 0.3 million No | 2023 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 73 | Sri Lanka | 0.3 million No | 2023 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 73 | New Zealand | 0.3 million No | 2023 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 73 | Palestine, State of | 0.3 million No | 2021 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 73 | Singapore | 0.3 million No | 2023 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 73 | Eswatini | 0.3 million No | 2023 | — | rising |
| 81 | Austria | 0.2 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 81 | Bulgaria | 0.2 million No | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 81 | Switzerland | 0.2 million No | 2023 | unchanged | falling |
| 81 | Denmark | 0.2 million No | 2023 | — | rising |
| 81 | Georgia | 0.2 million No | 2023 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 81 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.2 million No | 2021 | unchanged | flat |
| 81 | Greece | 0.2 million No | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 81 | Ireland | 0.2 million No | 2023 | unchanged | falling |
| 81 | Kuwait | 0.2 million No | 2023 | unchanged | falling |
| 81 | Mauritius | 0.2 million No | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 91 | Costa Rica | 0.1 million No | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 91 | Israel | 0.1 million No | 2023 | unchanged | falling |
| 91 | Serbia | 0.1 million No | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 91 | Slovakia | 0.1 million No | 2023 | — | flat |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- World 827.7 million No
- Asia 439.4 million No
- Lower-middle-income economies 525.7 million No
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 253.8 million No
- Central Asia and Southern Asia 363.4 million No
- Middle Africa 76.2 million No
- Southern Asia 361 million No
- Africa 326.3 million No
- Small island developing states (SIDS) 17.1 million No
- Sub-Saharan Africa 293.8 million No
- United Republic of Tanzania 16.9 million No
- Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) 245.5 million No
- Iran (Islamic Republic of) 5.5 million No
- Low-income economies 175 million No
- Melanesia 3.4 million No
- Eastern Africa 121.5 million No
- Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) 101.4 million No
- Lao People's Democratic Republic 0.5 million No
- Western Africa 92.8 million No
- Republic of Moldova 0.2 million No
- Upper-middle-income economies 81 million No
- Western Asia and Northern Africa 80.4 million No
- Western Asia 47.3 million No
- Latin America and the Caribbean 46.6 million No
- Northern Africa 34.3 million No
- Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia 34 million No
- High-income economies 26.1 million No
- South America 22.2 million No
- Eastern Asia 20.5 million No
- Northern America and Europe 20.5 million No
- Europe 16 million No
- South-Eastern Asia 14.5 million No
- Central America 13.2 million No
- Caribbean 12.7 million No
- Southern Africa 8.1 million No
- Western Europe 5.3 million No
- Eastern Europe 5.1 million No
- Oceania 5 million No
- Northern America 4.7 million No
- Northern Europe 4.6 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.