Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in World

World: Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total was 26.8 % in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
26.8 %
Change on year
down 2.2%
Rank
18th
of 37 groups
All-time high
28.2 %
in 2020
All-time low
21.6 %
in 2014
Years of data
10
2014–2023

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

01020302014201820232014: 21.6 %2015: 22.4 %2016: 23.4 %2017: 24.3 %2018: 26 %2019: 27.2 %2020: 28.2 %2021: 27.8 %2022: 27.4 %2023: 26.8 %

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 World stood at 26.8 %.

The figure is down 2.2% on the previous year and up 24.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in World peaked at 28.2 % in 2020 and was at its lowest, 21.6 %, in 2014.

World ranks 18th of 37 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Annual values for Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total population (percent) (3-year average) — Value in World, 2014 to 2023.
Year % Change
2014 21.6 %
2015 22.4 % +3.7%
2016 23.4 % +4.5%
2017 24.3 % +3.8%
2018 26 % +7.0%
2019 27.2 % +4.6%
2020 28.2 % +3.7%
2021 27.8 % -1.4%
2022 27.4 % -1.4%
2023 26.8 % -2.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 24.15 % 21.6 % 27.2 % 6
2020s 27.55 % 26.8 % 28.2 % 4

Countries ranked near World

  1. 15 Guinea-Bissau 62.5 % compare
  2. 16 Eswatini 61.7 % compare
  3. 17 Cabo Verde 32.1 % compare
  4. 17 Lesotho 61.6 % compare
  5. 18 Madagascar 61.1 % compare
  6. 19 Cameroon 60.9 % compare
  7. 20 Ethiopia 60.1 % compare
  8. 21 Togo 56.3 % compare

See the full ranking of 169 places →

More agriculture & rural data for World

All data for World →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in World?
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total in World was 26.8 % 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 World?
The highest recorded value was 28.2 % in 2020.
What is the lowest prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total recorded in World?
The lowest recorded value was 21.6 % in 2014.
How does World rank for prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total?
World ranks 18th out of 37 groups with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the total rising or falling in World?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this World 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 World. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-moderate-or-severe-food-insecurity-in-the-total-population-percent-3-year/world/

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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.