Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Western Africa
Western Africa: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population was 19.5 % in 2025. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Western Africa, 2014–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Western Africa is 19.5 %, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and up 95.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Western Africa peaked at 19.8 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.7 %, in 2014.
Western Africa ranks 7th of 34 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Western Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 9.7 % | — |
| 2015 | 10 % | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 11 % | +10.0% |
| 2017 | 11.3 % | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 13.1 % | +15.9% |
| 2019 | 13.6 % | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 15.1 % | +11.0% |
| 2021 | 16.4 % | +8.6% |
| 2022 | 17 % | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 18.1 % | +6.5% |
| 2024 | 19.8 % | +9.4% |
| 2025 | 19.5 % | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 11.45 % | 9.7 % | 13.6 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 17.65 % | 15.1 % | 19.8 % | 6 |
Countries ranked near Western Africa
More agriculture & rural data for Western Africa
- Other fruits, n.e.c. — Production, annual growth rate 1.91 % change on previous year (2024)
- Onions and shallots, dry (excluding dehydrated) — Yield, annual 4.87 % change on previous year (2024)
- Onions and shallots, dry (excluding dehydrated) — Production, annual 6.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other fruits, n.e.c. — Area harvested, annual growth rate 1.87 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other fruits, n.e.c. — Yield, annual growth rate 0.041 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. — Yield, annual growth rate 0.7808 % change on previous year (2024)
- Beef and Buffalo Meat, primary — Production, annual growth rate -0.7481 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. — Production, annual growth rate -1.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Onions and shallots, dry (excluding dehydrated) — Area harvested 1.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. — Area harvested, annual growth rate -2.22 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Western Africa?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population in Western Africa was 19.5 % in 2025, 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 Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 19.8 % in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.7 % in 2014.
- How does Western Africa rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population?
- Western Africa ranks 7th out of 34 groups with data for 2025.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the female adult population rising or falling in Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 95.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western Africa 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) (annual value) — Confidence interval: Lower bound. 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.