Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in New Zealand

New Zealand: Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total was 17.9 % in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
17.9 %
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
61st
of 121 countries
All-time high
17.9 %
in 2023
All-time low
10 %
in 2014
Years of data
10
2014–2023

Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in New Zealand, 2014–2023

051015202014201820232014: 10 %2015: 11.3 %2016: 13.3 %2017: 13.9 %2018: 14 %2019: 14.5 %2020: 15.1 %2021: 16.4 %2022: 17.3 %2023: 17.9 %

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 total in New Zealand is 17.9 %, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

The figure is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 79.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in New Zealand peaked at 17.9 % in 2023 and was at its lowest, 10 %, in 2014.

That places New Zealand 61st out of 121 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total population (percent) (3-year average) — Value in New Zealand, 2014 to 2023.
Year % Change
2014 10 %
2015 11.3 % +13.0%
2016 13.3 % +17.7%
2017 13.9 % +4.5%
2018 14 % +0.7%
2019 14.5 % +3.6%
2020 15.1 % +4.1%
2021 16.4 % +8.6%
2022 17.3 % +5.5%
2023 17.9 % +3.5%

New Zealand compared with similar countries

  • New Zealand's 17.9 % is above the median for high income countries, which is 9 %, 2.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
  • New Zealand's 17.9 % is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 15.4 %, 1.2× the median. (13 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 12.83 % 10 % 14.5 % 6
2020s 16.68 % 15.1 % 17.9 % 4

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 58 South Africa 20.9 % compare
  2. 59 Mali 20.6 % compare
  3. 60 Samoa 18.2 % compare
  4. 62 Algeria 17.6 % compare
  5. 63 Hungary 16.9 % compare
  6. 64 Grenada 16.5 % compare
  7. 64 Mexico 16.5 % compare

See the full ranking of 169 places →

More agriculture & rural data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in New Zealand?
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in New Zealand was 17.9 % 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 New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 17.9 % in 2023.
What is the lowest prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 10 % in 2014.
How does New Zealand rank for prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total?
New Zealand ranks 61st out of 121 countries with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 79.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this New Zealand 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) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-moderate-or-severe-food-insecurity-in-the-total-population-percent-3-year/new-zealand/

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<a href="https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-moderate-or-severe-food-insecurity-in-the-total-population-percent-3-year/new-zealand/">Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in New Zealand</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total 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.