Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Kenya
Kenya: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population was 27.2 % in 2023. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Kenya, 2014–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 27.2 % for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.2% on the previous year and up 65.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Kenya peaked at 29.7 % in 2020 and was at its lowest, 16.4 %, in 2014.
That places Kenya 8th out of 111 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 16.4 % | — |
| 2015 | 19.5 % | +18.9% |
| 2016 | 23.6 % | +21.0% |
| 2017 | 25.5 % | +8.1% |
| 2018 | 27.1 % | +6.3% |
| 2019 | 28.4 % | +4.8% |
| 2020 | 29.7 % | +4.6% |
| 2021 | 29.1 % | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 28.7 % | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 27.2 % | -5.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 27.2 % is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 13 %, 2.1× the median. (27 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 27.2 % is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 17.15 %, 1.6× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 23.42 % | 16.4 % | 28.4 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 28.68 % | 27.2 % | 29.7 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 5 Afghanistan 34.5 % compare
- 6 Sierra Leone 31.5 % compare
- 7 Namibia 28.9 % compare
- 8 Republic of Moldova 7.4 % compare
- 9 Eswatini 27.1 % compare
- 9 Lao People's Democratic Republic 5.8 % compare
- 10 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 4 % compare
- 10 Nigeria 26.7 % compare
- 11 Viet Nam 2 % compare
- 11 Zimbabwe 25.7 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Kenya
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 16.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2316 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 547.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6779 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 12.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Kenya?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Kenya was 27.2 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 29.7 % in 2020.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.4 % in 2014.
- How does Kenya rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population?
- Kenya ranks 8th out of 111 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 65.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population (percent) (3-year average) — Value. 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.