Number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) in Southern Asia
Southern Asia: Number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) was 285.2 million No in 2025. ▲ Rising
Number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) in Southern Asia, 2014–2025
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) (annual value) in Southern Asia is 285.2 million No, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 5.9% on the previous year and up 37.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) in Southern Asia peaked at 352.3 million No in 2020 and was at its lowest, 194.3 million No, in 2016.
That places Southern Asia 5th out of 34 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) in Southern Asia, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 217.5 million No | — |
| 2015 | 207.5 million No | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 194.3 million No | -6.4% |
| 2017 | 197 million No | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 264.2 million No | +34.1% |
| 2019 | 286.4 million No | +8.4% |
| 2020 | 352.3 million No | +23.0% |
| 2021 | 350.8 million No | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 329 million No | -6.2% |
| 2023 | 329.9 million No | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 303.2 million No | -8.1% |
| 2025 | 285.2 million No | -5.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 227.82 million No | 194.3 million No | 286.4 million No | 6 |
| 2020s | 325.07 million No | 285.2 million No | 352.3 million No | 6 |
Countries ranked near Southern Asia
More agriculture & rural data for Southern Asia
- Cattle and Buffaloes — Stocks, annual growth rate 1.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Citrus Fruit, Total — Yield, annual growth rate -2.86 % change on previous year (2024)
- Citrus Fruit, Total — Area harvested, annual growth rate 2.28 % change on previous year (2024)
- Cereals, primary — Production, annual growth rate 4.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Cereals, primary — Yield, annual growth rate 0.8614 % change on previous year (2024)
- Cereals, primary — Area harvested, annual growth rate 3.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Beef and Buffalo Meat, primary — Production, annual growth rate 4.72 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep fat, unrendered — Producing Animals/Slaughtered, annual growth 7.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Beef and Buffalo Meat, primary — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth 1.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Citrus Fruit, Total — Production, annual growth rate -0.6513 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) in Southern Asia?
- Number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) in Southern Asia was 285.2 million No in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) recorded in Southern Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 352.3 million No in 2020.
- What is the lowest number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) recorded in Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 194.3 million No in 2016.
- How does Southern Asia rank for number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value)?
- Southern Asia ranks 5th out of 34 groups with data for 2025.
- Is number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) rising or falling in Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Southern Asia 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) (annual value) — Confidence interval: Lower 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.