Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 27.9 % in 2023. ▼ Falling
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
In 2023, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sierra Leone stood at 27.9 %.
The figure is down 5.7% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sierra Leone peaked at 32.4 % in 2016 and was at its lowest, 26.6 %, in 2014.
Sierra Leone ranks 5th of 103 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 26.6 % | — |
| 2015 | 31.8 % | +19.5% |
| 2016 | 32.4 % | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 32.2 % | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 30.7 % | -4.7% |
| 2019 | 28.7 % | -6.5% |
| 2020 | 27.8 % | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 28.3 % | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 29.6 % | +4.6% |
| 2023 | 27.9 % | -5.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 30.4 % | 26.6 % | 32.4 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 28.4 % | 27.8 % | 29.6 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
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 27.9 % 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 32.4 % in 2016.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.6 % in 2014.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
- Sierra Leone ranks 5th out of 103 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 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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: 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.