Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total 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 total population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Lower bound is currently reported for 112 countries. The highest value is 61.2 % in South Sudan; the lowest is 0.5 % in Lithuania.
The median across all reporting countries is 3.95 %, and the mean is 9.04 %.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 122.
Over the past decade 60 countries rose and 47 fell. The largest increase was in Pakistan (up 550.0%), and the largest decrease in Algeria (down 79.8%).
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total 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 | 41.7 % | 2023 | up 15.5% | rising |
| 2 | Malawi | 56.6 % | 2023 | up 22.8% | rising |
| 3 | Haiti | 42.2 % | 2023 | down 8.5% | falling |
| 3 | Melanesia | 23.4 % | 2023 | up 3.1% | flat |
| 4 | Liberia | 33 % | 2023 | down 5.2% | flat |
| 4 | United Republic of Tanzania | 21.2 % | 2023 | up 12.8% | rising |
| 5 | Sierra Leone | 27.9 % | 2023 | up 4.9% | falling |
| 6 | Namibia | 26.2 % | 2023 | down 3.0% | flat |
| 7 | Kenya | 25.4 % | 2023 | up 81.4% | rising |
| 8 | Nigeria | 24.9 % | 2023 | up 141.7% | rising |
| 8 | Republic of Moldova | 4.1 % | 2023 | up 310.0% | rising |
| 8 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 4.1 % | 2023 | down 40.6% | falling |
| 9 | Afghanistan | 24.1 % | 2023 | up 119.1% | rising |
| 10 | Chad | 23.9 % | 2023 | down 21.4% | falling |
| 10 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 3.6 % | 2023 | down 55.6% | falling |
| 11 | Jamaica | 23.8 % | 2023 | up 8.7% | rising |
| 11 | Viet Nam | 1.1 % | 2023 | — | rising |
| 12 | Lesotho | 22.8 % | 2023 | down 10.2% | falling |
| 13 | Eswatini | 21.8 % | 2023 | — | rising |
| 14 | Zimbabwe | 21.5 % | 2023 | down 33.2% | falling |
| 15 | Cameroon | 20.4 % | 2023 | up 16.6% | flat |
| 16 | Guatemala | 19.2 % | 2023 | up 37.1% | rising |
| 17 | Botswana | 17.9 % | 2023 | up 19.3% | rising |
| 18 | Madagascar | 15.8 % | 2023 | up 95.1% | rising |
| 19 | Angola | 15.7 % | 2023 | down 33.2% | falling |
| 19 | Zambia | 15.7 % | 2023 | down 24.9% | falling |
| 19 | Côte d'Ivoire | 7.1 % | 2023 | up 34.0% | rising |
| 21 | Gambia | 15.1 % | 2023 | down 28.1% | falling |
| 22 | Dominican Republic | 14.9 % | 2023 | down 33.5% | falling |
| 22 | Cabo Verde | 5.1 % | 2023 | down 32.9% | falling |
| 23 | Honduras | 13.7 % | 2023 | down 1.4% | rising |
| 24 | Ethiopia | 13.5 % | 2023 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 25 | Libya | 12.2 % | 2023 | up 28.4% | rising |
| 26 | Uganda | 11.9 % | 2023 | down 39.6% | falling |
| 27 | Mauritania | 11.8 % | 2023 | up 202.6% | rising |
| 28 | Benin | 11.6 % | 2023 | up 26.1% | rising |
| 29 | Egypt | 10.3 % | 2023 | up 49.3% | rising |
| 29 | Nepal | 10.3 % | 2023 | up 21.2% | rising |
| 31 | Mauritius | 9.9 % | 2023 | up 141.5% | rising |
| 31 | El Salvador | 9.9 % | 2023 | down 18.9% | flat |
| 33 | Argentina | 9 % | 2023 | up 109.3% | rising |
| 34 | Lebanon | 8.5 % | 2023 | up 174.2% | rising |
| 35 | Ecuador | 8.2 % | 2023 | up 148.5% | rising |
| 35 | Ghana | 8.2 % | 2023 | up 90.7% | rising |
| 37 | South Africa | 7.7 % | 2023 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 38 | Guinea-Bissau | 7.4 % | 2021 | up 4.2% | flat |
| 38 | Togo | 7.4 % | 2023 | down 49.7% | falling |
| 40 | Niger | 7 % | 2023 | down 19.5% | falling |
| 41 | Albania | 6.3 % | 2023 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 42 | Myanmar | 6.1 % | 2023 | up 408.3% | rising |
| 43 | Burkina Faso | 6 % | 2023 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 44 | Tunisia | 5.7 % | 2023 | down 5.0% | rising |
| 45 | Paraguay | 5.5 % | 2023 | up 400.0% | rising |
| 46 | Pakistan | 5.2 % | 2023 | up 550.0% | volatile |
| 47 | Colombia | 4.9 % | 2023 | up 6.5% | rising |
| 48 | Malaysia | 4 % | 2023 | down 37.5% | falling |
| 48 | Ukraine | 4 % | 2023 | up 263.6% | volatile |
| 50 | New Zealand | 3.9 % | 2023 | up 116.7% | rising |
| 50 | Romania | 3.9 % | 2023 | down 9.3% | rising |
| 52 | Samoa | 3.8 % | 2023 | up 65.2% | rising |
| 52 | Australia and New Zealand | 3.8 % | 2023 | up 81.0% | rising |
| 54 | Georgia | 3.7 % | 2023 | down 32.7% | falling |
| 55 | Australia | 3.6 % | 2023 | up 80.0% | rising |
| 56 | Palestine, State of | 3.5 % | 2021 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 57 | Kiribati | 3.4 % | 2023 | down 42.4% | falling |
| 57 | Peru | 3.4 % | 2023 | up 25.9% | rising |
| 59 | Tajikistan | 3.3 % | 2023 | up 3.1% | falling |
| 60 | Chile | 3.2 % | 2023 | up 23.1% | rising |
| 60 | Hungary | 3.2 % | 2023 | up 300.0% | volatile |
| 62 | Kuwait | 3.1 % | 2023 | down 18.4% | falling |
| 63 | Grenada | 2.7 % | 2023 | down 37.2% | falling |
| 63 | Philippines | 2.7 % | 2023 | unchanged | falling |
| 63 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 2.7 % | 2023 | up 107.7% | rising |
| 66 | France | 2.6 % | 2023 | up 271.4% | volatile |
| 67 | Singapore | 2.5 % | 2023 | up 316.7% | volatile |
| 68 | Mexico | 2.4 % | 2023 | down 27.3% | falling |
| 68 | Senegal | 2.4 % | 2023 | down 61.9% | falling |
| 70 | Ireland | 2.3 % | 2023 | down 11.5% | falling |
| 71 | Sweden | 2.2 % | 2023 | up 340.0% | volatile |
| 72 | Algeria | 2.1 % | 2023 | down 79.8% | volatile |
| 72 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 2.1 % | 2023 | up 110.0% | rising |
| 74 | Costa Rica | 2 % | 2023 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 75 | Cambodia | 1.9 % | 2023 | down 47.2% | falling |
| 75 | Uruguay | 1.9 % | 2023 | up 46.2% | rising |
| 77 | Canada | 1.8 % | 2023 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 78 | Mali | 1.7 % | 2023 | down 34.6% | falling |
| 79 | Belgium | 1.6 % | 2023 | up 166.7% | rising |
| 80 | Belize | 1.5 % | 2023 | down 50.0% | falling |
| 80 | Malta | 1.5 % | 2023 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 82 | Denmark | 1.2 % | 2023 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 82 | Greece | 1.2 % | 2023 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 82 | Portugal | 1.2 % | 2023 | down 61.3% | falling |
| 85 | Spain | 1 % | 2023 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 85 | Sri Lanka | 1 % | 2023 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 87 | Austria | 0.9 % | 2023 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 87 | Bulgaria | 0.9 % | 2023 | down 25.0% | falling |
| 87 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.9 % | 2023 | down 10.0% | rising |
| 87 | Switzerland | 0.9 % | 2023 | up 28.6% | rising |
| 87 | Finland | 0.9 % | 2023 | down 40.0% | falling |
| 87 | Iceland | 0.9 % | 2023 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 93 | Czechia | 0.8 % | 2023 | — | falling |
| 93 | North Macedonia | 0.8 % | 2023 | down 66.7% | rising |
| 93 | Serbia | 0.8 % | 2022 | down 27.3% | rising |
| 96 | Israel | 0.7 % | 2019 | down 12.5% | rising |
| 96 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.7 % | 2021 | down 12.5% | rising |
| 96 | Norway | 0.7 % | 2023 | up 40.0% | rising |
| 96 | Slovakia | 0.7 % | 2023 | up 16.7% | rising |
| 100 | Montenegro | 0.6 % | 2023 | down 57.1% | falling |
| 100 | Thailand | 0.6 % | 2022 | — | flat |
| 102 | Brazil | 0.5 % | 2023 | down 28.6% | volatile |
| 102 | Lithuania | 0.5 % | 2022 | down 68.8% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Low-income economies 26.9 %
- Middle Africa 33.3 %
- Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) 24.3 %
- Sub-Saharan Africa 22.6 %
- Eastern Africa 22.5 %
- Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand 22.1 %
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 20.3 %
- Africa 20.7 %
- Small island developing States (SIDS) 18.4 %
- Caribbean 20.2 %
- Asia 8 %
- Western Africa 18.8 %
- Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) 15.4 %
- Lower-middle-income economies 15.1 %
- Southern Asia 14.8 %
- Central Asia and Southern Asia 14.4 %
- Western Asia 14 %
- Western Asia and Northern Africa 12.8 %
- Northern Africa 11 %
- Southern Africa 9.8 %
- Oceania 9.6 %
- World 9.4 %
- Central America 6.4 %
- Latin America and the Caribbean 6.3 %
- South America 4.5 %
- Northern Europe 2.6 %
- Upper-middle-income economies 2.5 %
- Central Asia 2.4 %
- Europe 1.7 %
- Western Europe 1.7 %
- South-Eastern Asia 1.7 %
- High-income economies 1.6 %
- Northern America and Europe 1.5 %
- Eastern Europe 1.3 %
- Northern America 1.1 %
- Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia 1.1 %
- Southern Europe 1 %
- United States of America 1 %
- Eastern Asia 0.8 %
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.