Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Lower bound by country
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...
What the numbers show
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Lower bound is currently reported for 114 countries. The highest value is 61.2 % in South Sudan; the lowest is 0.5 % in Austria.
The median across all reporting countries is 4.25 %, and the mean is 9.37 %.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 122.
Over the past decade 61 countries rose and 48 fell. The largest increase was in Pakistan (up 590.0%), and the largest decrease in Algeria (down 83.6%).
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Sudan | 61.2 % | 2023 | down 4.5% | flat |
| 1 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 42.1 % | 2023 | up 21.0% | rising |
| 2 | Malawi | 58.3 % | 2023 | up 20.2% | rising |
| 3 | Haiti | 41.8 % | 2023 | down 2.6% | flat |
| 3 | Melanesia | 23.3 % | 2023 | up 3.6% | flat |
| 4 | Liberia | 34 % | 2023 | down 7.4% | flat |
| 4 | United Republic of Tanzania | 20.7 % | 2023 | up 0.5% | flat |
| 5 | Afghanistan | 28.7 % | 2023 | up 154.0% | rising |
| 6 | Sierra Leone | 27.7 % | 2023 | up 1.5% | falling |
| 7 | Namibia | 27 % | 2023 | down 6.6% | flat |
| 7 | Caribbean | 20 % | 2023 | down 7.0% | falling |
| 8 | Kenya | 26.2 % | 2023 | up 70.1% | rising |
| 8 | Republic of Moldova | 5.1 % | 2023 | up 466.7% | rising |
| 9 | Nigeria | 25.2 % | 2023 | up 173.9% | rising |
| 9 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 4.5 % | 2023 | down 49.4% | falling |
| 10 | Chad | 24.3 % | 2023 | down 21.6% | falling |
| 10 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 3.1 % | 2023 | down 59.7% | falling |
| 11 | Eswatini | 24.1 % | 2023 | — | rising |
| 11 | Viet Nam | 1.4 % | 2023 | up 133.3% | rising |
| 12 | Lesotho | 23.8 % | 2023 | down 7.0% | falling |
| 13 | Zimbabwe | 22.2 % | 2023 | down 32.9% | falling |
| 14 | Jamaica | 21.9 % | 2023 | down 9.1% | falling |
| 15 | Cameroon | 20.8 % | 2023 | up 32.5% | rising |
| 16 | Guatemala | 20 % | 2023 | up 34.2% | rising |
| 17 | Botswana | 19.4 % | 2023 | up 12.8% | rising |
| 18 | Zambia | 16.9 % | 2023 | down 19.1% | falling |
| 19 | Dominican Republic | 16.7 % | 2023 | down 30.4% | falling |
| 19 | Côte d'Ivoire | 7.1 % | 2023 | up 36.5% | rising |
| 20 | Angola | 16.4 % | 2023 | down 33.1% | falling |
| 21 | Madagascar | 15.8 % | 2023 | up 68.1% | rising |
| 22 | Honduras | 15.5 % | 2023 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 22 | Cabo Verde | 5.1 % | 2023 | down 32.9% | falling |
| 23 | Gambia | 15 % | 2023 | down 27.9% | falling |
| 24 | Ethiopia | 14.2 % | 2023 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 25 | Mauritania | 12.2 % | 2023 | up 197.6% | rising |
| 25 | Uganda | 12.2 % | 2023 | down 35.4% | falling |
| 27 | Egypt | 12 % | 2023 | up 46.3% | rising |
| 28 | Benin | 11.8 % | 2023 | up 24.2% | rising |
| 29 | El Salvador | 11.6 % | 2023 | down 14.1% | flat |
| 30 | Mauritius | 10.3 % | 2023 | up 114.6% | rising |
| 31 | Nepal | 10.1 % | 2023 | up 18.8% | rising |
| 32 | Argentina | 10 % | 2023 | up 96.1% | rising |
| 33 | Libya | 9.9 % | 2023 | down 12.4% | flat |
| 34 | Lebanon | 9.6 % | 2023 | up 464.7% | rising |
| 35 | Ecuador | 9 % | 2023 | up 143.2% | rising |
| 36 | Ghana | 8.2 % | 2023 | up 86.4% | rising |
| 37 | South Africa | 8 % | 2023 | up 12.7% | rising |
| 38 | Albania | 7.6 % | 2023 | down 17.4% | falling |
| 39 | Guinea-Bissau | 7.4 % | 2021 | up 4.2% | flat |
| 39 | Togo | 7.4 % | 2023 | down 43.1% | falling |
| 41 | Niger | 6.9 % | 2023 | down 21.6% | falling |
| 41 | Pakistan | 6.9 % | 2023 | up 590.0% | volatile |
| 43 | Burkina Faso | 6.4 % | 2023 | up 48.8% | rising |
| 44 | Tunisia | 6.2 % | 2023 | down 4.6% | rising |
| 45 | Myanmar | 5.9 % | 2023 | up 293.3% | rising |
| 46 | Paraguay | 5.4 % | 2023 | up 315.4% | rising |
| 47 | Colombia | 5.2 % | 2023 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 48 | Romania | 4.3 % | 2023 | down 21.8% | rising |
| 48 | Ukraine | 4.3 % | 2023 | up 207.1% | rising |
| 50 | Palestine, State of | 4.2 % | 2021 | down 4.5% | falling |
| 51 | Georgia | 4 % | 2023 | down 32.2% | falling |
| 52 | Peru | 3.9 % | 2023 | up 18.2% | rising |
| 52 | Tajikistan | 3.9 % | 2023 | up 11.4% | flat |
| 54 | Samoa | 3.8 % | 2023 | up 65.2% | rising |
| 55 | New Zealand | 3.6 % | 2023 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 55 | Australia and New Zealand | 3.6 % | 2023 | up 56.5% | rising |
| 57 | Hungary | 3.5 % | 2023 | up 337.5% | volatile |
| 58 | Australia | 3.4 % | 2023 | up 61.9% | rising |
| 58 | Kiribati | 3.4 % | 2023 | down 42.4% | falling |
| 60 | Malaysia | 3.3 % | 2023 | down 34.0% | falling |
| 61 | Chile | 3 % | 2023 | down 3.2% | flat |
| 62 | Mexico | 2.9 % | 2023 | down 19.4% | falling |
| 63 | Grenada | 2.8 % | 2023 | down 34.9% | falling |
| 64 | Philippines | 2.7 % | 2023 | up 12.5% | falling |
| 64 | Senegal | 2.7 % | 2023 | down 52.6% | falling |
| 64 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 2.7 % | 2023 | up 237.5% | volatile |
| 67 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 2.5 % | 2023 | up 13.6% | rising |
| 68 | France | 2.4 % | 2023 | up 166.7% | rising |
| 68 | Cambodia | 2.4 % | 2023 | down 45.5% | falling |
| 68 | Kuwait | 2.4 % | 2023 | up 9.1% | falling |
| 71 | Costa Rica | 2.3 % | 2023 | up 43.8% | rising |
| 72 | Uruguay | 2.2 % | 2023 | up 46.7% | rising |
| 73 | Singapore | 2.1 % | 2023 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 73 | Sweden | 2.1 % | 2023 | up 250.0% | volatile |
| 75 | Canada | 2 % | 2023 | up 300.0% | rising |
| 76 | Belgium | 1.9 % | 2023 | up 216.7% | rising |
| 76 | Algeria | 1.9 % | 2023 | down 83.6% | volatile |
| 78 | Ireland | 1.8 % | 2023 | down 5.3% | falling |
| 79 | Mali | 1.7 % | 2023 | down 39.3% | falling |
| 79 | Malta | 1.7 % | 2023 | up 41.7% | rising |
| 79 | Portugal | 1.7 % | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 82 | Belize | 1.5 % | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 83 | Iceland | 1.4 % | 2023 | up 75.0% | rising |
| 84 | Spain | 1.3 % | 2023 | up 116.7% | rising |
| 84 | Greece | 1.3 % | 2023 | down 23.5% | falling |
| 86 | Estonia | 1.2 % | 2023 | up 140.0% | rising |
| 87 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1.1 % | 2023 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 87 | North Macedonia | 1.1 % | 2023 | down 56.0% | rising |
| 89 | Denmark | 1 % | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 89 | Sri Lanka | 1 % | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 91 | Bulgaria | 0.9 % | 2023 | down 18.2% | rising |
| 91 | Czechia | 0.9 % | 2023 | — | flat |
| 91 | Slovakia | 0.9 % | 2023 | up 28.6% | rising |
| 94 | Finland | 0.8 % | 2023 | down 46.7% | falling |
| 94 | Croatia | 0.8 % | 2021 | — | rising |
| 94 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.8 % | 2021 | unchanged | rising |
| 94 | Serbia | 0.8 % | 2022 | down 20.0% | rising |
| 98 | Brazil | 0.7 % | 2023 | down 22.2% | volatile |
| 98 | Lithuania | 0.7 % | 2022 | down 56.2% | falling |
| 98 | Montenegro | 0.7 % | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 98 | Norway | 0.7 % | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 98 | Thailand | 0.7 % | 2022 | up 40.0% | rising |
| 103 | Israel | 0.6 % | 2019 | down 14.3% | rising |
| 104 | Austria | 0.5 % | 2023 | down 44.4% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Low-income economies 27.2 %
- Middle Africa 33.7 %
- Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) 24.5 %
- Eastern Africa 22.9 %
- Sub-Saharan Africa 22.7 %
- Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand 21.8 %
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 20 %
- Africa 20.6 %
- Small Island Developing States (SIDS) 17.8 %
- Asia 7.8 %
- Western Africa 19.1 %
- Southern Asia 15.8 %
- Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) 15.6 %
- Lower-middle-income economies 15.6 %
- Central Asia and Southern Asia 15.3 %
- Western Asia 13.2 %
- Western Asia and Northern Africa 12.6 %
- Northern Africa 11.5 %
- Southern Africa 10 %
- World 8.6 %
- Oceania 8.6 %
- Central America 6.7 %
- Latin America and the Caribbean 6.5 %
- South America 4.7 %
- Upper-middle-income economies 2.4 %
- Central Asia 2.3 %
- Northern Europe 2.2 %
- Europe 1.8 %
- Western Europe 1.7 %
- South-eastern Asia 1.7 %
- Northern America and Europe 1.7 %
- High-income economies 1.6 %
- Eastern Europe 1.4 %
- Northern America 1.3 %
- Southern Europe 1.2 %
- United States of America 1.2 %
- Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia 1 %
- Eastern Asia 0.7 %
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.