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

Southern Africa: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 9.8 % in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
9.8 %
Change on year
down 1.0%
Rank
16th
of 37 groups
All-time high
10.1 %
in 2020
All-time low
8.5 %
in 2014
Years of data
10
2014–2023

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

02.557.5102014201820232014: 8.5 %2015: 8.7 %2016: 8.7 %2017: 8.7 %2018: 9.1 %2019: 9.6 %2020: 10.1 %2021: 10.1 %2022: 9.9 %2023: 9.8 %

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

Analysis

Southern Africa recorded 9.8 % for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and up 15.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Africa peaked at 10.1 % in 2020 and was at its lowest, 8.5 %, in 2014.

That places Southern Africa 16th out of 37 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Annual values for Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Lower bound in Southern Africa, 2014 to 2023.
Year % Change
2014 8.5 %
2015 8.7 % +2.4%
2016 8.7 % +0.0%
2017 8.7 % +0.0%
2018 9.1 % +4.6%
2019 9.6 % +5.5%
2020 10.1 % +5.2%
2021 10.1 % +0.0%
2022 9.9 % -2.0%
2023 9.8 % -1.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 8.88 % 8.5 % 9.6 % 6
2020s 9.97 % 9.8 % 10.1 % 4

Countries ranked near Southern Africa

  1. 13 Eswatini 21.8 % compare
  2. 14 Zimbabwe 21.5 % compare
  3. 15 Cameroon 20.4 % compare
  4. 16 Guatemala 19.2 % compare
  5. 17 Botswana 17.9 % compare
  6. 18 Madagascar 15.8 % compare
  7. 19 Angola 15.7 % compare
  8. 19 Côte d'Ivoire 7.1 % compare
  9. 19 Zambia 15.7 % compare

See the full ranking of 151 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Southern Africa

All data for Southern Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Africa?
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Africa was 9.8 % 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 Southern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 10.1 % in 2020.
What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Southern Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 8.5 % in 2014.
How does Southern Africa rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
Southern Africa ranks 16th out of 37 groups with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Southern Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Southern 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) — Confidence interval: Lower bound. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-severe-food-insecurity-in-the-total-population-percent-3-year-average/southern-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Lower bound
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
151 places, 1,366 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.