Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in Pakistan
Pakistan: Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total was 23.5 % in 2023. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in Pakistan, 2014–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in Pakistan stood at 23.5 %.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 63.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in Pakistan peaked at 27.9 % in 2020 and was at its lowest, 12.4 %, in 2015.
Pakistan ranks 57th of 121 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 14.4 % | — |
| 2015 | 12.4 % | -13.9% |
| 2016 | 13.1 % | +5.6% |
| 2017 | 14.5 % | +10.7% |
| 2018 | 24.6 % | +69.7% |
| 2019 | 26.1 % | +6.1% |
| 2020 | 27.9 % | +6.9% |
| 2021 | 22.2 % | -20.4% |
| 2022 | 23.1 % | +4.1% |
| 2023 | 23.5 % | +1.7% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 23.5 % is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 47.55 %, 49% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 23.5 % is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 29 %, 81% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 17.52 % | 12.4 % | 26.1 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 24.18 % | 22.2 % | 27.9 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More agriculture & rural data for Pakistan
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2302 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 367.4 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.984 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6047 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 4.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in Pakistan?
- Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in Pakistan was 23.5 % 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 total recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 27.9 % in 2020.
- What is the lowest prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.4 % in 2015.
- How does Pakistan rank for prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total?
- Pakistan ranks 57th out of 121 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 63.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan 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 total population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Upper 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.