Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Western Africa

Western Africa: Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) was 92.8 million No in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
92.8 million No
Change on year
up 6.4%
Rank
11th
of 36 groups
All-time high
92.8 million No
in 2023
All-time low
42.6 million No
in 2014
Years of data
10
2014–2023

Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Western Africa, 2014–2023

0204060801002014201820232014: 42.6 million No2015: 48.7 million No2016: 54.5 million No2017: 59.6 million No2018: 65.9 million No2019: 71.5 million No2020: 76.5 million No2021: 80.7 million No2022: 87.2 million No2023: 92.8 million No

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in million No.

Analysis

The most recent figure for number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Western Africa is 92.8 million No, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

That represents a change of up 6.4% on the previous year and up 117.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Western Africa peaked at 92.8 million No in 2023 and was at its lowest, 42.6 million No, in 2014.

That places Western Africa 11th out of 36 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Western Africa, year by year

Annual values for Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Upper bound in Western Africa, 2014 to 2023.
Year million No Change
2014 42.6 million No
2015 48.7 million No +14.3%
2016 54.5 million No +11.9%
2017 59.6 million No +9.4%
2018 65.9 million No +10.6%
2019 71.5 million No +8.5%
2020 76.5 million No +7.0%
2021 80.7 million No +5.5%
2022 87.2 million No +8.1%
2023 92.8 million No +6.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 57.13 million No 42.6 million No 71.5 million No 6
2020s 84.3 million No 76.5 million No 92.8 million No 4

Countries ranked near Western Africa

  1. 8 Cameroon 8 million No compare
  2. 8 Melanesia 3.4 million No compare
  3. 9 South Sudan 7.7 million No compare
  4. 9 Viet Nam 2.4 million No compare
  5. 10 Lao People's Democratic Republic 0.5 million No compare
  6. 10 Uganda 6.8 million No compare
  7. 11 Angola 6.3 million No compare
  8. 11 Republic of Moldova 0.2 million No compare
  9. 12 Argentina 5.9 million No compare
  10. 13 South Africa 5.8 million No compare
  11. 14 Haiti 5.7 million No compare
  12. 14 Madagascar 5.7 million No compare

See the full ranking of 141 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Western Africa

All data for Western Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Western Africa?
Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Western Africa was 92.8 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 Western Africa?
The highest recorded value was 92.8 million No in 2023.
What is the lowest number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) recorded in Western Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 42.6 million No in 2014.
How does Western Africa rank for number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average)?
Western Africa ranks 11th out of 36 groups with data for 2023.
Is number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) rising or falling in Western Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 117.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Western 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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Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in Western Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-severely-food-insecure-people-million-3-year-average-confidence-interval-upper/western-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Upper bound
Unit
million No
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
141 places, 1,293 data points, 2014–2023
Last refreshed

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.