Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Mauritania
Mauritania: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 11.8 % in 2023. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Mauritania, 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 Mauritania is 11.8 %, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.1% on the previous year and up 202.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Mauritania peaked at 12.3 % in 2022 and was at its lowest, 3.9 %, in 2014.
That places Mauritania 27th out of 103 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 3.9 % | — |
| 2015 | 4.3 % | +10.3% |
| 2016 | 4.7 % | +9.3% |
| 2017 | 5.2 % | +10.6% |
| 2018 | 5.9 % | +13.5% |
| 2019 | 6.4 % | +8.5% |
| 2020 | 8.7 % | +35.9% |
| 2021 | 10.9 % | +25.3% |
| 2022 | 12.3 % | +12.8% |
| 2023 | 11.8 % | -4.1% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 11.8 % is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.3 %, 1.1× the median. (27 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 11.8 % is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 15.7 %, 75% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5.07 % | 3.9 % | 6.4 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 10.93 % | 8.7 % | 12.3 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
More agriculture & rural data for Mauritania
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.81 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1995 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 438.46 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.5156 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3851 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 20.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 20.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.3% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Mauritania?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Mauritania was 11.8 % 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 Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 12.3 % in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.9 % in 2014.
- How does Mauritania rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
- Mauritania ranks 27th out of 103 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 202.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mauritania 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: Lower bound. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.