Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) was 293.8 million No in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2014–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in million No.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 293.8 million No for number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in 2023. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 54.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 293.8 million No in 2023 and was at its lowest, 190.4 million No, in 2014.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 6th out of 36 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 190.4 million No | — |
| 2015 | 207.6 million No | +9.0% |
| 2016 | 221.3 million No | +6.6% |
| 2017 | 230.7 million No | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 244.7 million No | +6.1% |
| 2019 | 261.5 million No | +6.9% |
| 2020 | 273.5 million No | +4.6% |
| 2021 | 279.1 million No | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 287.5 million No | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 293.8 million No | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 226.03 million No | 190.4 million No | 261.5 million No | 6 |
| 2020s | 283.48 million No | 273.5 million No | 293.8 million No | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 3 Afghanistan 15.5 million No compare
- 3 Kenya 15.5 million No compare
- 4 Democratic Republic of the Congo 50.3 million No compare
- 5 Egypt 15.3 million No compare
- 6 Pakistan 14.6 million No compare
- 6 United Republic of Tanzania 16.9 million No compare
- 7 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 5.5 million No compare
- 7 Malawi 12.9 million No compare
- 8 Cameroon 8 million No compare
- 8 Melanesia 3.4 million No compare
- 9 South Sudan 7.7 million No compare
- 9 Viet Nam 2.4 million No compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1791 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 299.6 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
- Rural population 55.3% (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 293.8 million No in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 293.8 million No in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 190.4 million No in 2014.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th out of 36 groups with data for 2023.
- Is number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 54.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Upper 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.