Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in South America
South America: Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult was 21.5 % in 2025. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in South America, 2014–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in South America is 21.5 %, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 7.7% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in South America peaked at 35.3 % in 2021 and was at its lowest, 16.4 %, in 2014.
South America ranks 21st of 34 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in South America, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 16.4 % | — |
| 2015 | 19.5 % | +18.9% |
| 2016 | 25.6 % | +31.3% |
| 2017 | 28.2 % | +10.2% |
| 2018 | 25.3 % | -10.3% |
| 2019 | 25.5 % | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 32.7 % | +28.2% |
| 2021 | 35.3 % | +8.0% |
| 2022 | 31.4 % | -11.0% |
| 2023 | 25.2 % | -19.7% |
| 2024 | 23.3 % | -7.5% |
| 2025 | 21.5 % | -7.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 23.42 % | 16.4 % | 28.2 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 28.23 % | 21.5 % | 35.3 % | 6 |
More agriculture & rural data for South America
- Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Potatoes — Yield, annual growth rate 6.21 % change on previous year (2024)
- Potatoes — Production, annual growth rate 9.11 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of cattle — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth -3.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of cattle — Production, annual growth rate 6 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of cattle — Producing Animals/Slaughtered, annual 9.11 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of goats or kids — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of goats or kids — Production, annual growth rate 2.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of goats or kids — Producing Animals/Slaughtered 2.45 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep fat, unrendered — Production, annual growth rate -2.61 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in South America?
- Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult in South America was 21.5 % in 2025, 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 South America?
- The highest recorded value was 35.3 % in 2021.
- What is the lowest prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult recorded in South America?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.4 % in 2014.
- How does South America rank for prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult?
- South America ranks 21st out of 34 groups with data for 2025.
- Is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the female adult rising or falling in South America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South America 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) (annual value) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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.