Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in South Sudan
South Sudan: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 61.2 % in 2023. ▬ Flat
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in South Sudan, 2016–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Sudan recorded 61.2 % for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in 2023.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 4.5% over ten years.
That places South Sudan 1st out of 103 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in South Sudan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 64.1 % | — |
| 2017 | 62.3 % | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 61.5 % | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 60.8 % | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 61.7 % | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 61.7 % | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 61.5 % | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 61.2 % | -0.5% |
South Sudan compared with similar countries
- South Sudan's 61.2 % is above the median for low income countries, which is 15.45 %, 4.0× the median. (14 countries reporting)
- South Sudan's 61.2 % is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 15.7 %, 3.9× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 62.17 % | 60.8 % | 64.1 % | 4 |
| 2020s | 61.53 % | 61.2 % | 61.7 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Sudan
More agriculture & rural data for South Sudan
- Rural population, per capita 0.7832 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 17.13 % change on previous year (2015)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1036 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2015)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 111.85 current US$ per person (2015)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0008 units per US$ of GDP (2015)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.66 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 10.4% (2015)
- Rural population 9.55 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.6% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 10.4% (2015)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in South Sudan?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in South Sudan was 61.2 % 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 South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 64.1 % in 2016.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.8 % in 2019.
- How does South Sudan rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
- South Sudan ranks 1st out of 103 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in South Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Sudan 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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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.