Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Western Africa
Western Africa: Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population was 61.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
61.6%
Change on year
down 2.5%
Rank
4th
of 35 groups
All-time high
63.2%
in 2024
All-time low
36.3%
in 2014
Years of data
12
2014–2025
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Western Africa, 2014–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Western Africa recorded 61.6% for prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in 2025.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and up 57.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Western Africa peaked at 63.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 36.3%, in 2014.
Western Africa ranks 4th of 35 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Western Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 36.3% | — |
| 2015 | 39.2% | +8.0% |
| 2016 | 43.0% | +9.7% |
| 2017 | 44.7% | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 47.0% | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 48.6% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 54.1% | +11.3% |
| 2021 | 60.7% | +12.2% |
| 2022 | 60.1% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 61.4% | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 63.2% | +2.9% |
| 2025 | 61.6% | -2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 43.1% | 36.3% | 48.6% | 6 |
| 2020s | 60.2% | 54.1% | 63.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Western Africa
- 1 South Sudan 88.8% compare
- 2 Sierra Leone 88.1% compare
- 3 Haiti 83.5% compare
- 4 Democratic Republic of the Congo 81.7% compare
- 5 Malawi 81.6% compare
- 6 Liberia 79.0% compare
- 7 Afghanistan 77.8% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Western Africa
- Raw hides and skins of goats or kids — Production, annual growth rate -0.9422 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw milk of cattle — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth rate 0.4184 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs — Producing -2.05 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs — Production, annual growth rate 2.63 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of goats or kids — Producing Animals/Slaughtered 1.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of cattle — Production, annual growth rate -1.05 % change on previous year (2024)
- Potatoes — Production, annual growth rate -3.71 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of cattle — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw milk of cattle — Production, annual growth rate 1.7 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Western Africa?
- Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population in Western Africa was 61.6% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population recorded in Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 63.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.3% in 2014.
- How does Western Africa rank for prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population?
- Western Africa ranks 4th out of 35 groups with data for 2025.
- Is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population rising or falling in Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 57.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).