Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Western Africa
Western Africa: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 20.5 % in 2025. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Western Africa, 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 Western Africa is 20.5 %, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 2.4% on the previous year and up 79.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Western Africa peaked at 21 % in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.5 %, in 2014.
Western Africa ranks 8th of 34 groups on this measure, 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 Western Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 10.5 % | — |
| 2015 | 11.4 % | +8.6% |
| 2016 | 12.8 % | +12.3% |
| 2017 | 14.4 % | +12.5% |
| 2018 | 15 % | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 15.7 % | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 17.9 % | +14.0% |
| 2021 | 17.9 % | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 18.1 % | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 19.6 % | +8.3% |
| 2024 | 21 % | +7.1% |
| 2025 | 20.5 % | -2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 13.3 % | 10.5 % | 15.7 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 19.17 % | 17.9 % | 21 % | 6 |
More agriculture & rural data for Western Africa
- Raw hides and skins of goats or kids — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. — Area harvested, annual growth rate -2.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. — Yield, annual growth rate 0.7808 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. — Production, annual growth rate -1.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Potatoes — Area harvested, annual growth rate -0.9609 % change on previous year (2024)
- Potatoes — Yield, annual growth rate -2.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Potatoes — Production, annual growth rate -3.71 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of cattle — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of cattle — Production, annual growth rate -1.05 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of cattle — Producing Animals/Slaughtered, annual 0.7857 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Western Africa?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Western Africa was 20.5 % 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 Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 21 % in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.5 % in 2014.
- How does Western Africa rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
- Western Africa ranks 8th out of 34 groups with data for 2025.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 79.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western 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) (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.