Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 36 % in 2023. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sierra Leone, 2014–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sierra Leone is 36 %, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 4.5% on the previous year and up 33.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sierra Leone peaked at 37.7 % in 2022 and was at its lowest, 26.9 %, in 2014.
That places Sierra Leone 6th out of 114 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 26.9 % | — |
| 2015 | 32.1 % | +19.3% |
| 2016 | 32.8 % | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 32.6 % | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 33.7 % | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 34.3 % | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 35.9 % | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 36.4 % | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 37.7 % | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 36 % | -4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 32.07 % | 26.9 % | 34.3 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 36.5 % | 35.9 % | 37.7 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 3 Haiti 48.7 % compare
- 3 Melanesia 26.2 % compare
- 4 Liberia 38.1 % compare
- 4 United Republic of Tanzania 24.7 % compare
- 5 Afghanistan 36.3 % compare
- 7 Jamaica 30.9 % compare
- 8 Namibia 30.1 % compare
- 8 Republic of Moldova 7.9 % compare
- 9 Lao People's Democratic Republic 6.9 % compare
- 9 Zimbabwe 29.1 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sierra Leone
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2954 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 250 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5407 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 29.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 29.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 9.4% (2018)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2018)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sierra Leone?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sierra Leone was 36 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 37.7 % in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.9 % in 2014.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
- Sierra Leone ranks 6th out of 114 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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 total population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Upper bound. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
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.