Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Africa

Southern Africa: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 11.1 % in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
11.1 %
Change on year
down 0.9%
Rank
16th
of 37 groups
All-time high
11.3 %
in 2020
All-time low
9.7 %
in 2014
Years of data
10
2014–2023

Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Africa, 2014–2023

02.557.51012.52014201820232014: 9.7 %2015: 9.8 %2016: 9.9 %2017: 9.9 %2018: 10.3 %2019: 10.8 %2020: 11.3 %2021: 11.3 %2022: 11.2 %2023: 11.1 %

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.

Analysis

Southern Africa recorded 11.1 % for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in 2023.

The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 14.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Africa peaked at 11.3 % in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.7 %, in 2014.

Southern Africa ranks 16th of 37 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Africa, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Upper bound in Southern Africa, 2014 to 2023.
Year % Change
2014 9.7 %
2015 9.8 % +1.0%
2016 9.9 % +1.0%
2017 9.9 % +0.0%
2018 10.3 % +4.0%
2019 10.8 % +4.9%
2020 11.3 % +4.6%
2021 11.3 % +0.0%
2022 11.2 % -0.9%
2023 11.1 % -0.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 10.07 % 9.7 % 10.8 % 6
2020s 11.22 % 11.1 % 11.3 % 4

Countries ranked near Southern Africa

  1. 13 Cameroon 27.3 % compare
  2. 14 Chad 26.4 % compare
  3. 15 Lesotho 25.8 % compare
  4. 16 Guatemala 25.5 % compare
  5. 17 Botswana 23 % compare
  6. 18 Gambia 20.1 % compare
  7. 19 Côte d'Ivoire 8.7 % compare
  8. 19 Ethiopia 19.8 % compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Southern Africa

All data for Southern Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Africa?
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Africa was 11.1 % 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 Southern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 11.3 % in 2020.
What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Southern Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 9.7 % in 2014.
How does Southern Africa rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
Southern Africa ranks 16th out of 37 groups with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Southern Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Southern 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 total population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Upper bound. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-severe-food-insecurity-in-the-total-population-percent-3-year-average-2/southern-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Upper bound
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
162 places, 1,513 data points, 2014–2023
Last refreshed

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.