Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Eastern Africa
Eastern Africa: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 21.9 % in 2025. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Eastern Africa, 2014–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Eastern Africa stood at 21.9 %.
The figure is down 11.0% on the previous year and up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Eastern Africa peaked at 26.3 % in 2020 and was at its lowest, 20.6 %, in 2014.
That places Eastern Africa 6th 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 Eastern Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 20.6 % | — |
| 2015 | 20.8 % | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 24.3 % | +16.8% |
| 2017 | 24.8 % | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 22.9 % | -7.7% |
| 2019 | 23.5 % | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 26.3 % | +11.9% |
| 2021 | 26.3 % | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 24.7 % | -6.1% |
| 2023 | 23.6 % | -4.5% |
| 2024 | 24.6 % | +4.2% |
| 2025 | 21.9 % | -11.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 22.82 % | 20.6 % | 24.8 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 24.57 % | 21.9 % | 26.3 % | 6 |
More agriculture & rural data for Eastern Africa
- Sheep and Goat Meat — Production, annual growth rate 7.92 % change on previous year (2024)
- Roots and Tubers, Total — Area harvested, annual growth rate -4 % change on previous year (2024)
- Roots and Tubers, Total — Yield, annual growth rate 3.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Roots and Tubers, Total — Production, annual growth rate -1.04 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep and Goat Meat — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep and Goats — Stocks, annual growth rate 7.06 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sugar Crops Primary — Yield, annual growth rate 1.21 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sugar Crops Primary — Area harvested, annual growth rate 9.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Pulses, Total — Production, annual growth rate -2.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep and Goat Meat — Producing Animals/Slaughtered, annual growth 5.25 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Eastern Africa?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Eastern Africa was 21.9 % 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 Eastern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 26.3 % in 2020.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Eastern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.6 % in 2014.
- How does Eastern Africa rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
- Eastern Africa ranks 6th out of 34 groups with data for 2025.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Eastern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Eastern 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) — Value. 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.