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

Eastern Africa: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 23.4 % in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
23.4 %
Change on year
down 3.7%
Rank
4th
of 37 groups
All-time high
25.8 %
in 2020
All-time low
21.9 %
in 2014
Years of data
10
2014–2023

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

01020302014201820232014: 21.9 %2015: 23.3 %2016: 24 %2017: 23.7 %2018: 24.3 %2019: 25.4 %2020: 25.8 %2021: 24.9 %2022: 24.3 %2023: 23.4 %

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

Analysis

Eastern Africa recorded 23.4 % for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in 2023.

That represents a change of down 3.7% on the previous year and up 6.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Eastern Africa peaked at 25.8 % in 2020 and was at its lowest, 21.9 %, in 2014.

Eastern Africa ranks 4th of 37 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Annual values for Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population (percent) (3-year average) — Value in Eastern Africa, 2014 to 2023.
Year % Change
2014 21.9 %
2015 23.3 % +6.4%
2016 24 % +3.0%
2017 23.7 % -1.3%
2018 24.3 % +2.5%
2019 25.4 % +4.5%
2020 25.8 % +1.6%
2021 24.9 % -3.5%
2022 24.3 % -2.4%
2023 23.4 % -3.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 23.77 % 21.9 % 25.4 % 6
2020s 24.6 % 23.4 % 25.8 % 4

Countries ranked near Eastern Africa

  1. 1 Democratic Republic of the Congo 43.9 % compare
  2. 1 South Sudan 62.9 % compare
  3. 2 Malawi 58.1 % compare
  4. 3 Haiti 45.4 % compare
  5. 3 Melanesia 24.8 % compare
  6. 4 Liberia 35.5 % compare
  7. 4 United Republic of Tanzania 22.9 % compare
  8. 5 Sierra Leone 31.9 % compare
  9. 6 Afghanistan 30.2 % compare
  10. 7 Namibia 28.1 % compare

See the full ranking of 160 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Eastern Africa

All data for Eastern Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Eastern Africa?
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Eastern Africa was 23.4 % 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 Eastern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 25.8 % in 2020.
What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Eastern Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 21.9 % in 2014.
How does Eastern Africa rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
Eastern Africa ranks 4th out of 37 groups with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Eastern Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Eastern 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) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Eastern Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-severe-food-insecurity-in-the-total-population-percent-3-year-average-value/eastern-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population (percent) (3-year average) — Value
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
160 places, 1,484 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.