Number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) in Western Asia and Northern Africa
Western Asia and Northern Africa: Number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) was 74.3 million No in 2025. ▲ Rising
Number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) in Western Asia and Northern Africa, 2014–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in million No.
Analysis
In 2025, number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) in Western Asia and Northern Africa stood at 74.3 million No.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and up 67.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) in Western Asia and Northern Africa peaked at 76.9 million No in 2024 and was at its lowest, 43.6 million No, in 2014.
That places Western Asia and Northern Africa 12th out of 34 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 Western Asia and Northern Africa, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 43.6 million No | — |
| 2015 | 44.3 million No | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 50.1 million No | +13.1% |
| 2017 | 51.9 million No | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 51.1 million No | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 51.1 million No | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 57.3 million No | +12.1% |
| 2021 | 64.9 million No | +13.3% |
| 2022 | 71.6 million No | +10.3% |
| 2023 | 72.2 million No | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 76.9 million No | +6.5% |
| 2025 | 74.3 million No | -3.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 48.68 million No | 43.6 million No | 51.9 million No | 6 |
| 2020s | 69.53 million No | 57.3 million No | 76.9 million No | 6 |
More agriculture & rural data for Western Asia and Northern Africa
- Minimum dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 1,828 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Average dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 2,365 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Per capita food supply variability (kcal/cap/day) — Value 25 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) 31.6 % (2024)
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight 7.4 % (2024)
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) 18.1 % (2024)
- Gross domestic product per capita, PPP, (constant 2021 international) 23,360 Int$/cap (2024)
- Percentage of population using at least basic sanitation services 91 % (2024)
- Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value 119 million No (2024)
- Dietary energy supply used in the estimation of the prevalence of 3,028 kcal/cap/d (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- Number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) in Western Asia and Northern Africa was 74.3 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 Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 76.9 million No in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) recorded in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.6 million No in 2014.
- How does Western Asia and Northern Africa rank for number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value)?
- Western Asia and Northern Africa ranks 12th out of 34 groups with data for 2025.
- Is number of severely food insecure people (million) (annual value) rising or falling in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 67.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western Asia and Northern 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) (annual value) — Confidence interval: Lower bound. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
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.