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

World: Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) was 799 million No in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
799 million No
Change on year
down 1.4%
Rank
1st
of 36 groups
All-time high
823.3 million No
in 2020
All-time low
561.6 million No
in 2014
Years of data
10
2014–2023

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

02004006008002014201820232014: 561.6 million No2015: 577.7 million No2016: 620.2 million No2017: 660 million No2018: 731.3 million No2019: 785.2 million No2020: 823.3 million No2021: 821.8 million No2022: 810.6 million No2023: 799 million No

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

Analysis

In 2023, number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in World stood at 799 million No.

The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and up 42.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in World peaked at 823.3 million No in 2020 and was at its lowest, 561.6 million No, in 2014.

World ranks 1st of 36 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Annual values for Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) — Value in World, 2014 to 2023.
Year million No Change
2014 561.6 million No
2015 577.7 million No +2.9%
2016 620.2 million No +7.4%
2017 660 million No +6.4%
2018 731.3 million No +10.8%
2019 785.2 million No +7.4%
2020 823.3 million No +4.9%
2021 821.8 million No -0.2%
2022 810.6 million No -1.4%
2023 799 million No -1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 656 million No 561.6 million No 785.2 million No 6
2020s 813.67 million No 799 million No 823.3 million No 4

Countries ranked near World

  1. 1 Nigeria 61.4 million No compare
  2. 2 Ethiopia 22 million No compare
  3. 3 Kenya 14.9 million No compare
  4. 4 Democratic Republic of the Congo 47.9 million No compare
  5. 4 Pakistan 13.8 million No compare

See the full ranking of 137 places →

More agriculture & rural data for World

All data for World →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in World?
Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in World was 799 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 World?
The highest recorded value was 823.3 million No in 2020.
What is the lowest number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) recorded in World?
The lowest recorded value was 561.6 million No in 2014.
How does World rank for number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average)?
World ranks 1st out of 36 groups with data for 2023.
Is number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) rising or falling in World?
Over the last ten years it is up 42.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this World 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) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) in World. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-severely-food-insecure-people-million-3-year-average-value/world/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of severely food insecure people (million) (3-year average) — Value
Unit
million No
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
137 places, 1,251 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.