Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in South Africa
South Africa: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population was 8.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
8.4%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
42nd
of 129 countries
All-time high
8.4%
in 2021
All-time low
6.9%
in 2018
Years of data
7
2018–2024
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in South Africa, 2018–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in South Africa stood at 8.4%. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 21.7% over ten years.
That places South Africa 42nd out of 129 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 6.9% | — |
| 2019 | 7.5% | +8.7% |
| 2020 | 8.0% | +6.7% |
| 2021 | 8.4% | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 8.4% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 8.4% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 8.4% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 7.2% | 6.9% | 7.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 8.3% | 8.0% | 8.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 39 Togo 9.2% compare
- 40 Guinea-Bissau 9.0% compare
- 41 Ghana 8.8% compare
- 42 Côte d'Ivoire 8.4% compare
- 44 Albania 8.3% compare
- 45 Myanmar 7.9% compare
- 45 Côte d'Ivoire 7.9% compare
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0283 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 186.56 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.812 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3618 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in South Africa?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population in South Africa was 8.4% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 8.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.9% in 2018.
- How does South Africa rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population?
- South Africa ranks 42nd out of 129 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).