Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Asia
Southern Asia: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 16.6 % in 2025. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Asia, 2014–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Asia is 16.6 %, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% on the previous year and up 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Asia peaked at 20.1 % in 2021 and was at its lowest, 13.2 %, in 2016.
That places Southern Asia 9th out of 34 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 16.6 % | — |
| 2015 | 14.9 % | -10.2% |
| 2016 | 13.2 % | -11.4% |
| 2017 | 13.2 % | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 17 % | +28.8% |
| 2019 | 17.7 % | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 19.7 % | +11.3% |
| 2021 | 20.1 % | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 18.9 % | -6.0% |
| 2023 | 18.7 % | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 17.2 % | -8.0% |
| 2025 | 16.6 % | -3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 15.43 % | 13.2 % | 17.7 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 18.53 % | 16.6 % | 20.1 % | 6 |
More agriculture & rural data for Southern Asia
- Sheep — Stocks, annual growth rate 3.87 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs — Producing 7.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw milk of cattle — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth rate 1.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw milk of cattle — Production, annual growth rate 5.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw milk of cattle — Milk Animals, annual growth rate 4.28 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep fat, unrendered — Producing Animals/Slaughtered, annual growth 7.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Beef and Buffalo Meat, primary — Production, annual growth rate 4.72 % change on previous year (2024)
- Beef and Buffalo Meat, primary — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth 1.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs — Production, annual growth rate 7.69 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep fat, unrendered — Production, annual growth rate 5.81 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Asia?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Southern Asia was 16.6 % in 2025, 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 Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 20.1 % in 2021.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Southern Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.2 % in 2016.
- How does Southern Asia rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
- Southern Asia ranks 9th out of 34 groups with data for 2025.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Southern Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Southern 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) (annual value) — Confidence interval: Upper bound. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 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.