Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 22.6 % in 2023. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sub-Saharan Africa, 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 Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 22.6 %.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and up 22.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 22.7 % in 2022 and was at its lowest, 18.5 %, in 2014.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 3rd out of 37 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 18.5 % | — |
| 2015 | 19.5 % | +5.4% |
| 2016 | 20.2 % | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 20.5 % | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 21.1 % | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 22.1 % | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 22.6 % | +2.3% |
| 2021 | 22.6 % | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 22.7 % | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 22.6 % | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 20.32 % | 18.5 % | 22.1 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 22.62 % | 22.6 % | 22.7 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 1 Democratic Republic of the Congo 41.7 % compare
- 1 South Sudan 61.2 % compare
- 2 Malawi 56.6 % compare
- 3 Haiti 42.2 % compare
- 3 Melanesia 23.4 % compare
- 4 Liberia 33 % compare
- 4 United Republic of Tanzania 21.2 % compare
- 5 Sierra Leone 27.9 % compare
- 6 Namibia 26.2 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1791 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 299.6 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
- Rural population 55.3% (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Sub-Saharan Africa was 22.6 % 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 22.7 % in 2022.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.5 % in 2014.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 3rd out of 37 groups with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan 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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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.