Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in Africa

Africa: Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult was 56.7 % in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
56.7 %
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
6th
of 37 groups
All-time high
56.8 %
in 2022
All-time low
46.2 %
in 2014
Years of data
10
2014–2023

Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in Africa, 2014–2023

02040602014201820232014: 46.2 %2015: 48 %2016: 49.8 %2017: 50.3 %2018: 51.4 %2019: 53.5 %2020: 55.3 %2021: 56.3 %2022: 56.8 %2023: 56.7 %

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in Africa stood at 56.7 %.

The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 22.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in Africa peaked at 56.8 % in 2022 and was at its lowest, 46.2 %, in 2014.

That places Africa 6th out of 37 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in Africa, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult population (percent) (3-year average) — Value in Africa, 2014 to 2023.
Year % Change
2014 46.2 %
2015 48 % +3.9%
2016 49.8 % +3.7%
2017 50.3 % +1.0%
2018 51.4 % +2.2%
2019 53.5 % +4.1%
2020 55.3 % +3.4%
2021 56.3 % +1.8%
2022 56.8 % +0.9%
2023 56.7 % -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 49.87 % 46.2 % 53.5 % 6
2020s 56.27 % 55.3 % 56.8 % 4

Countries ranked near Africa

  1. 3 Haiti 85.5 % compare
  2. 3 United Republic of Tanzania 56.3 % compare
  3. 4 Malawi 82.7 % compare
  4. 5 Afghanistan 82 % compare
  5. 5 Melanesia 53.9 % compare
  6. 6 Liberia 79.9 % compare
  7. 7 Angola 78.2 % compare
  8. 7 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 37.3 % compare
  9. 7 Caribbean 53.8 % compare
  10. 8 Lao People's Democratic Republic 35.5 % compare
  11. 8 Nigeria 76.9 % compare
  12. 9 Republic of Moldova 31.3 % compare
  13. 9 Yemen 75.6 % compare

See the full ranking of 169 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Africa

All data for Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in Africa?
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in Africa was 56.7 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult recorded in Africa?
The highest recorded value was 56.8 % in 2022.
What is the lowest prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult recorded in Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 46.2 % in 2014.
How does Africa rank for prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult?
Africa ranks 6th out of 37 groups with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult rising or falling in Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult population (percent) (3-year average) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-moderate-or-severe-food-insecurity-in-the-female-adult-population-percent-3/africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult population (percent) (3-year average) — Value
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
169 places, 1,581 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.