Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Upper 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: Upper bound is currently reported for 123 countries. The highest value is 64.6 % in South Sudan; the lowest is 0.5 % in Kazakhstan.
The median across all reporting countries is 6 %, and the mean is 11.27 %.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 129.
Over the past decade 68 countries rose and 50 fell. The largest increase was in Pakistan (up 533.3%), and the largest decrease in Poland (down 76.0%).
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Sudan | 64.6 % | 2023 | down 3.3% | flat |
| 1 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 46.5 % | 2023 | up 17.4% | rising |
| 1 | Caribbean | 29.2 % | 2023 | down 12.0% | falling |
| 2 | Malawi | 60.9 % | 2023 | up 18.5% | rising |
| 3 | Haiti | 49.1 % | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Melanesia | 26.1 % | 2023 | up 3.6% | flat |
| 4 | Afghanistan | 40.3 % | 2023 | up 107.7% | rising |
| 4 | United Republic of Tanzania | 24 % | 2023 | up 0.4% | flat |
| 5 | Liberia | 38.6 % | 2023 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 6 | Sierra Leone | 35.4 % | 2023 | up 28.3% | rising |
| 7 | Namibia | 30.9 % | 2023 | down 4.0% | flat |
| 7 | Republic of Moldova | 9.6 % | 2023 | up 317.4% | rising |
| 8 | Eswatini | 30.1 % | 2023 | — | rising |
| 9 | Zimbabwe | 29.2 % | 2023 | down 25.3% | falling |
| 9 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 7.2 % | 2023 | down 47.1% | falling |
| 10 | Jamaica | 28.9 % | 2023 | down 6.8% | falling |
| 10 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 4.9 % | 2023 | down 53.3% | falling |
| 11 | Kenya | 28.2 % | 2023 | up 63.0% | rising |
| 11 | Nigeria | 28.2 % | 2023 | up 163.6% | rising |
| 11 | Viet Nam | 2.7 % | 2023 | up 350.0% | volatile |
| 13 | Cameroon | 27.4 % | 2023 | up 1.1% | falling |
| 14 | Chad | 26.7 % | 2023 | down 23.5% | falling |
| 15 | Lesotho | 26.1 % | 2023 | down 8.1% | falling |
| 16 | Guatemala | 25.2 % | 2023 | up 34.8% | rising |
| 17 | Botswana | 24.4 % | 2023 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 18 | Ethiopia | 19.9 % | 2023 | up 8.7% | rising |
| 19 | Gambia | 19.7 % | 2023 | down 23.6% | falling |
| 19 | Zambia | 19.7 % | 2023 | down 17.6% | falling |
| 19 | Côte d'Ivoire | 8.8 % | 2023 | up 20.5% | rising |
| 20 | Cabo Verde | 7.7 % | 2023 | down 33.0% | falling |
| 21 | Dominican Republic | 19.5 % | 2023 | down 29.3% | falling |
| 22 | Madagascar | 17.8 % | 2023 | up 53.4% | rising |
| 23 | Angola | 17.3 % | 2023 | down 39.7% | falling |
| 24 | Honduras | 16.4 % | 2023 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 25 | El Salvador | 15.7 % | 2023 | down 5.4% | rising |
| 26 | Libya | 15.4 % | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 26 | Mauritius | 15.4 % | 2023 | up 116.9% | rising |
| 28 | Egypt | 14.8 % | 2023 | up 28.7% | rising |
| 29 | Benin | 14.7 % | 2023 | up 23.5% | rising |
| 30 | Ecuador | 14.5 % | 2023 | up 64.8% | rising |
| 31 | Argentina | 13.9 % | 2023 | up 73.8% | rising |
| 32 | Mauritania | 13.8 % | 2023 | up 142.1% | rising |
| 32 | Uganda | 13.8 % | 2023 | down 37.6% | falling |
| 34 | Nepal | 13.7 % | 2023 | up 17.1% | rising |
| 35 | Lebanon | 13.1 % | 2023 | up 285.3% | rising |
| 36 | Albania | 11.3 % | 2023 | down 7.4% | falling |
| 37 | Togo | 11 % | 2023 | down 31.2% | falling |
| 38 | Guinea-Bissau | 10.5 % | 2021 | up 11.7% | rising |
| 39 | Tunisia | 10.4 % | 2023 | down 16.8% | flat |
| 40 | Myanmar | 9.8 % | 2023 | up 237.9% | rising |
| 41 | Ghana | 9.4 % | 2023 | up 62.1% | rising |
| 42 | South Africa | 9.3 % | 2023 | up 9.4% | rising |
| 43 | Burkina Faso | 9 % | 2023 | up 38.5% | rising |
| 44 | Algeria | 8.2 % | 2023 | down 50.6% | falling |
| 45 | Paraguay | 8 % | 2023 | up 196.3% | rising |
| 46 | Niger | 7.7 % | 2023 | down 33.6% | falling |
| 47 | Pakistan | 7.6 % | 2023 | up 533.3% | volatile |
| 48 | Hungary | 7.4 % | 2023 | up 289.5% | volatile |
| 49 | Romania | 7.1 % | 2023 | down 14.5% | rising |
| 50 | Tajikistan | 6.9 % | 2023 | up 1.5% | flat |
| 50 | Ukraine | 6.9 % | 2023 | up 102.9% | rising |
| 52 | Georgia | 6.3 % | 2023 | down 29.2% | falling |
| 53 | Kiribati | 6.2 % | 2023 | down 38.6% | falling |
| 54 | Grenada | 6 % | 2023 | down 51.2% | falling |
| 54 | Palestine, State of | 6 % | 2021 | up 5.3% | flat |
| 56 | Colombia | 5.9 % | 2023 | up 11.3% | rising |
| 57 | New Zealand | 5.7 % | 2023 | up 18.8% | falling |
| 58 | Malaysia | 5.4 % | 2023 | down 28.0% | falling |
| 58 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 5.4 % | 2023 | up 184.2% | rising |
| 60 | Samoa | 5.3 % | 2023 | up 17.8% | rising |
| 61 | Australia | 5 % | 2023 | up 35.1% | rising |
| 61 | Australia and New Zealand | 5 % | 2023 | up 35.1% | rising |
| 63 | Belgium | 4.9 % | 2023 | up 206.2% | rising |
| 63 | Senegal | 4.9 % | 2023 | down 38.8% | falling |
| 65 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 4.7 % | 2023 | up 27.0% | rising |
| 66 | Peru | 4.5 % | 2023 | up 15.4% | rising |
| 66 | Sweden | 4.5 % | 2023 | up 309.1% | rising |
| 68 | Finland | 4.4 % | 2023 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 68 | Singapore | 4.4 % | 2023 | up 158.8% | rising |
| 70 | Cambodia | 4.3 % | 2023 | down 30.6% | falling |
| 71 | Portugal | 4.1 % | 2023 | down 24.1% | falling |
| 72 | Kuwait | 4 % | 2023 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 73 | Belize | 3.8 % | 2023 | down 34.5% | falling |
| 74 | France | 3.7 % | 2023 | up 60.9% | volatile |
| 75 | Spain | 3.5 % | 2023 | up 118.8% | rising |
| 76 | Iceland | 3.4 % | 2023 | up 54.5% | rising |
| 76 | Mexico | 3.4 % | 2023 | down 15.0% | falling |
| 76 | Philippines | 3.4 % | 2023 | unchanged | falling |
| 76 | Uruguay | 3.4 % | 2023 | up 47.8% | rising |
| 80 | Ireland | 3.2 % | 2023 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 80 | Mali | 3.2 % | 2023 | down 15.8% | falling |
| 82 | Chile | 3.1 % | 2023 | down 16.2% | flat |
| 83 | Costa Rica | 2.9 % | 2023 | up 52.6% | rising |
| 83 | Latvia | 2.9 % | 2023 | up 190.0% | volatile |
| 83 | North Macedonia | 2.9 % | 2023 | down 40.8% | rising |
| 83 | Malta | 2.9 % | 2023 | up 20.8% | rising |
| 87 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2.7 % | 2023 | up 42.1% | rising |
| 87 | Denmark | 2.7 % | 2023 | up 80.0% | rising |
| 89 | Czechia | 2.6 % | 2023 | up 160.0% | volatile |
| 90 | Bulgaria | 2.5 % | 2023 | up 8.7% | rising |
| 90 | Norway | 2.5 % | 2023 | up 31.6% | flat |
| 92 | Montenegro | 2.4 % | 2023 | down 17.2% | falling |
| 93 | Estonia | 2.3 % | 2023 | up 109.1% | rising |
| 94 | Austria | 2.2 % | 2023 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 94 | Greece | 2.2 % | 2023 | down 35.3% | falling |
| 96 | Canada | 2.1 % | 2023 | up 162.5% | rising |
| 97 | Lithuania | 2 % | 2023 | down 41.2% | falling |
| 98 | Slovakia | 1.9 % | 2023 | up 18.8% | rising |
| 99 | Serbia | 1.5 % | 2023 | down 28.6% | rising |
| 100 | Switzerland | 1.4 % | 2023 | down 36.4% | falling |
| 101 | Germany | 1.3 % | 2023 | down 23.5% | rising |
| 102 | Croatia | 1.2 % | 2023 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 102 | Israel | 1.2 % | 2023 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 102 | Sri Lanka | 1.2 % | 2023 | up 71.4% | rising |
| 102 | Republic of Korea | 1.2 % | 2023 | up 140.0% | rising |
| 106 | Slovenia | 1.1 % | 2023 | down 21.4% | rising |
| 107 | Kyrgyzstan | 1 % | 2023 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 108 | Japan | 0.9 % | 2023 | — | rising |
| 108 | Luxembourg | 0.9 % | 2023 | down 62.5% | falling |
| 110 | Brazil | 0.8 % | 2023 | down 27.3% | volatile |
| 110 | Thailand | 0.8 % | 2023 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 112 | Poland | 0.6 % | 2023 | down 76.0% | falling |
| 113 | Kazakhstan | 0.5 % | 2023 | down 16.7% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Middle Africa 36.1 %
- Low-income economies 28.3 %
- Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) 25.6 %
- Eastern Africa 24.6 %
- Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand 24.3 %
- Small Island Developing States (SIDS) 23.7 %
- Sub-Saharan Africa 23.6 %
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 21 %
- Africa 21.4 %
- Western Africa 20.7 %
- Asia 8.9 %
- Southern Asia 18.5 %
- Central Asia and Southern Asia 17.9 %
- Lower-middle-income economies 17.4 %
- Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) 17.1 %
- Western Asia 14.5 %
- Western Asia and Northern Africa 13.7 %
- Northern Africa 13.2 %
- Southern Africa 11.2 %
- Oceania 9.8 %
- World 9.3 %
- Central America 7.4 %
- Latin America and the Caribbean 7.3 %
- South America 5.3 %
- Central Asia 3.3 %
- Northern Europe 3.2 %
- Upper-middle-income economies 2.8 %
- Western Europe 2.4 %
- Europe 2.2 %
- South-eastern Asia 2.1 %
- Northern America and Europe 2 %
- Eastern Europe 1.9 %
- Southern Europe 1.9 %
- High-income economies 1.8 %
- Northern America 1.5 %
- United States of America 1.4 %
- Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia 1.3 %
- Eastern Asia 1.1 %
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.