Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Western Asia

Western Asia: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 14 % in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
14 %
Change on year
up 1.4%
Rank
13th
of 37 groups
All-time high
14 %
in 2023
All-time low
9.1 %
in 2014
Years of data
10
2014–2023

Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Western Asia, 2014–2023

0510152014201820232014: 9.1 %2015: 9.7 %2016: 10.1 %2017: 10.3 %2018: 10.8 %2019: 11.5 %2020: 12.6 %2021: 13.2 %2022: 13.8 %2023: 14 %

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

Analysis

In 2023, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Western Asia stood at 14 %. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 53.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Western Asia peaked at 14 % in 2023 and was at its lowest, 9.1 %, in 2014.

Western Asia ranks 13th of 37 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Western Asia, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population (percent) (3-year average) — Confidence interval: Lower bound in Western Asia, 2014 to 2023.
Year % Change
2014 9.1 %
2015 9.7 % +6.6%
2016 10.1 % +4.1%
2017 10.3 % +2.0%
2018 10.8 % +4.9%
2019 11.5 % +6.5%
2020 12.6 % +9.6%
2021 13.2 % +4.8%
2022 13.8 % +4.5%
2023 14 % +1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 10.25 % 9.1 % 11.5 % 6
2020s 13.4 % 12.6 % 14 % 4

Countries ranked near Western Asia

  1. 10 Chad 23.9 % compare
  2. 10 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 3.6 % compare
  3. 11 Jamaica 23.8 % compare
  4. 11 Viet Nam 1.1 % compare
  5. 12 Lesotho 22.8 % compare
  6. 13 Eswatini 21.8 % compare
  7. 14 Zimbabwe 21.5 % compare
  8. 15 Cameroon 20.4 % compare
  9. 16 Guatemala 19.2 % compare

See the full ranking of 151 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Western Asia

All data for Western Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Western Asia?
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Western Asia was 14 % 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 Western Asia?
The highest recorded value was 14 % in 2023.
What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Western Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 9.1 % in 2014.
How does Western Asia rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
Western Asia ranks 13th out of 37 groups with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Western Asia?
Over the last ten years it is up 53.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Western Asia 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 Western Asia. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-severe-food-insecurity-in-the-total-population-percent-3-year-average/western-asia/

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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.