Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the male 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 male 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 Montenegro.
The median across all reporting countries is 3.8 %, and the mean is 8.8 %.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 122.
Over the past decade 59 countries rose and 47 fell. The largest increase was in Myanmar (up 611.1%), and the largest decrease in North Macedonia (down 78.3%).
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the male 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 | 41.2 % | 2023 | up 10.2% | rising |
| 2 | Malawi | 55 % | 2023 | up 25.6% | rising |
| 3 | Haiti | 42.6 % | 2023 | down 13.6% | falling |
| 3 | Melanesia | 23.4 % | 2023 | up 3.1% | flat |
| 4 | Liberia | 32 % | 2023 | down 2.7% | flat |
| 4 | United Republic of Tanzania | 21.8 % | 2023 | up 27.5% | rising |
| 5 | Sierra Leone | 28.1 % | 2023 | up 8.5% | flat |
| 6 | Jamaica | 25.7 % | 2023 | up 30.5% | rising |
| 7 | Namibia | 25.3 % | 2023 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 7 | Caribbean | 19.3 % | 2023 | down 11.5% | falling |
| 8 | Kenya | 24.7 % | 2023 | up 96.0% | rising |
| 8 | Nigeria | 24.7 % | 2023 | up 118.6% | rising |
| 8 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 4 % | 2023 | down 52.9% | falling |
| 9 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 3.7 % | 2023 | down 24.5% | falling |
| 10 | Chad | 23.6 % | 2023 | down 20.8% | falling |
| 10 | Republic of Moldova | 3 % | 2023 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 11 | Lesotho | 21.8 % | 2023 | down 13.5% | falling |
| 12 | Zimbabwe | 20.8 % | 2023 | down 33.8% | falling |
| 13 | Cameroon | 20 % | 2023 | up 3.1% | falling |
| 14 | Eswatini | 19.6 % | 2023 | — | rising |
| 15 | Afghanistan | 19.5 % | 2023 | up 82.2% | rising |
| 16 | Guatemala | 18.4 % | 2023 | up 40.5% | rising |
| 17 | Botswana | 16.3 % | 2023 | up 27.3% | rising |
| 18 | Madagascar | 15.8 % | 2023 | up 132.4% | rising |
| 19 | Gambia | 15.3 % | 2023 | down 27.8% | falling |
| 19 | Côte d'Ivoire | 7.1 % | 2023 | up 34.0% | rising |
| 20 | Angola | 15 % | 2023 | down 33.0% | falling |
| 21 | Libya | 14.6 % | 2023 | up 89.6% | rising |
| 21 | Zambia | 14.6 % | 2023 | down 29.8% | falling |
| 22 | Cabo Verde | 5.1 % | 2023 | down 32.9% | falling |
| 23 | Dominican Republic | 13.1 % | 2023 | down 37.3% | falling |
| 24 | Ethiopia | 12.8 % | 2023 | up 19.6% | rising |
| 25 | Honduras | 12 % | 2023 | down 4.8% | flat |
| 26 | Uganda | 11.5 % | 2023 | down 44.2% | falling |
| 27 | Benin | 11.4 % | 2023 | up 28.1% | rising |
| 28 | Mauritania | 11.3 % | 2023 | up 213.9% | rising |
| 29 | Nepal | 10.5 % | 2023 | up 23.5% | rising |
| 30 | Mauritius | 9.4 % | 2023 | up 184.8% | rising |
| 31 | Egypt | 8.6 % | 2023 | up 53.6% | rising |
| 32 | El Salvador | 8.3 % | 2023 | down 24.5% | falling |
| 33 | Ghana | 8.1 % | 2023 | up 88.4% | rising |
| 34 | Argentina | 7.9 % | 2023 | up 125.7% | rising |
| 35 | Guinea-Bissau | 7.4 % | 2021 | up 4.2% | flat |
| 35 | Lebanon | 7.4 % | 2023 | up 64.4% | rising |
| 35 | Togo | 7.4 % | 2023 | down 54.6% | falling |
| 35 | South Africa | 7.4 % | 2023 | up 37.0% | rising |
| 39 | Ecuador | 7.3 % | 2023 | up 151.7% | rising |
| 40 | Niger | 7.1 % | 2023 | down 17.4% | falling |
| 41 | Myanmar | 6.4 % | 2023 | up 611.1% | volatile |
| 42 | Burkina Faso | 5.7 % | 2023 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 43 | Paraguay | 5.6 % | 2023 | up 460.0% | rising |
| 44 | Tunisia | 5.2 % | 2023 | down 7.1% | rising |
| 45 | Albania | 5 % | 2023 | down 35.1% | falling |
| 46 | Malaysia | 4.6 % | 2023 | down 41.0% | falling |
| 47 | Colombia | 4.5 % | 2023 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 48 | New Zealand | 4.3 % | 2023 | up 258.3% | rising |
| 49 | Australia and New Zealand | 3.9 % | 2023 | up 116.7% | rising |
| 50 | Kuwait | 3.8 % | 2023 | down 28.3% | falling |
| 50 | Samoa | 3.8 % | 2023 | up 65.2% | rising |
| 52 | Australia | 3.7 % | 2023 | up 105.6% | rising |
| 52 | Ukraine | 3.7 % | 2023 | up 362.5% | volatile |
| 54 | Romania | 3.6 % | 2023 | up 16.1% | rising |
| 55 | Chile | 3.5 % | 2023 | up 59.1% | rising |
| 56 | Georgia | 3.4 % | 2023 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 56 | Kiribati | 3.4 % | 2023 | down 42.4% | falling |
| 56 | Pakistan | 3.4 % | 2023 | up 466.7% | volatile |
| 59 | Hungary | 3 % | 2023 | up 233.3% | volatile |
| 59 | Peru | 3 % | 2023 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 59 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 3 % | 2023 | up 200.0% | volatile |
| 62 | Palestine, State of | 2.9 % | 2021 | down 6.5% | falling |
| 62 | Singapore | 2.9 % | 2023 | up 314.3% | volatile |
| 64 | France | 2.8 % | 2023 | up 366.7% | volatile |
| 64 | Ireland | 2.8 % | 2023 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 64 | Philippines | 2.8 % | 2023 | down 6.7% | falling |
| 67 | Grenada | 2.7 % | 2023 | down 37.2% | falling |
| 67 | Tajikistan | 2.7 % | 2023 | down 6.9% | falling |
| 69 | Brazil | 2.6 % | 2022 | up 333.3% | volatile |
| 70 | Algeria | 2.3 % | 2023 | down 75.3% | falling |
| 70 | Sweden | 2.3 % | 2023 | up 283.3% | volatile |
| 72 | Senegal | 2.1 % | 2023 | down 69.1% | falling |
| 73 | Mexico | 2 % | 2023 | down 31.0% | falling |
| 74 | Canada | 1.7 % | 2023 | up 183.3% | rising |
| 74 | Costa Rica | 1.7 % | 2023 | up 6.2% | rising |
| 76 | Mali | 1.6 % | 2023 | down 36.0% | falling |
| 76 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 1.6 % | 2023 | up 45.5% | rising |
| 78 | Belize | 1.5 % | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 78 | Japan | 1.5 % | 2023 | — | rising |
| 78 | Uruguay | 1.5 % | 2023 | up 36.4% | rising |
| 81 | Denmark | 1.4 % | 2023 | — | rising |
| 81 | Cambodia | 1.4 % | 2023 | down 51.7% | falling |
| 81 | Malta | 1.4 % | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 84 | Belgium | 1.3 % | 2023 | up 85.7% | rising |
| 84 | Switzerland | 1.3 % | 2023 | up 116.7% | rising |
| 86 | Austria | 1.2 % | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 87 | Estonia | 1.1 % | 2023 | up 120.0% | rising |
| 87 | Finland | 1.1 % | 2023 | down 26.7% | falling |
| 87 | Greece | 1.1 % | 2023 | down 42.1% | falling |
| 87 | Lithuania | 1.1 % | 2020 | down 31.2% | falling |
| 91 | Sri Lanka | 1 % | 2023 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 92 | Serbia | 0.9 % | 2022 | down 25.0% | rising |
| 93 | Bulgaria | 0.8 % | 2023 | down 38.5% | falling |
| 93 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.8 % | 2023 | down 20.0% | flat |
| 93 | Iceland | 0.8 % | 2022 | unchanged | falling |
| 96 | Czechia | 0.7 % | 2023 | — | falling |
| 96 | Norway | 0.7 % | 2023 | — | rising |
| 96 | Portugal | 0.7 % | 2023 | down 74.1% | falling |
| 99 | Spain | 0.6 % | 2023 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 99 | Israel | 0.6 % | 2020 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 99 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.6 % | 2021 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 99 | Slovakia | 0.6 % | 2023 | — | falling |
| 99 | Thailand | 0.6 % | 2022 | — | rising |
| 104 | North Macedonia | 0.5 % | 2023 | down 78.3% | volatile |
| 104 | Montenegro | 0.5 % | 2022 | down 64.3% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Low-income economies 26 %
- Middle Africa 32.6 %
- Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) 23.5 %
- Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand 22 %
- Sub-Saharan Africa 21.9 %
- Eastern Africa 21.8 %
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 19.1 %
- Africa 19.6 %
- Small Island Developing States (SIDS) 17.3 %
- Asia 7.4 %
- Western Africa 18.7 %
- Lower-middle-income economies 14.2 %
- Southern Asia 14.1 %
- Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) 14.1 %
- Central Asia and Southern Asia 13.7 %
- Western Asia 13.2 %
- Western Asia and Northern Africa 12 %
- Northern Africa 9.9 %
- Southern Africa 9.2 %
- Oceania 9.1 %
- World 8.2 %
- Latin America and the Caribbean 5.7 %
- Central America 5.6 %
- South America 4 %
- Northern Europe 2.9 %
- Central Asia 2.4 %
- Upper-middle-income economies 2.4 %
- Europe 2 %
- High-income economies 1.9 %
- Western Europe 1.7 %
- South-eastern Asia 1.7 %
- Northern America and Europe 1.7 %
- Eastern Europe 1.3 %
- Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia 1.2 %
- Eastern Asia 1 %
- Northern America 0.8 %
- Southern Europe 0.7 %
- United States of America 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.