Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
Least Developed Countries (LDCs): Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 19.8 % in 2025. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), 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 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) stood at 19.8 %.
That represents a change of down 4.8% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) peaked at 21 % in 2021 and was at its lowest, 17.3 %, in 2014.
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 Least Developed Countries (LDCs), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 17.3 % | — |
| 2015 | 17.8 % | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 19.2 % | +7.9% |
| 2017 | 18.9 % | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 18.6 % | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 18.9 % | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 20.2 % | +6.9% |
| 2021 | 21 % | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 20.5 % | -2.4% |
| 2023 | 20.4 % | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 20.8 % | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 19.8 % | -4.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 18.45 % | 17.3 % | 19.2 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 20.45 % | 19.8 % | 21 % | 6 |
Countries ranked near Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
- 1 Australia and New Zealand 4.4 % compare
- 2 Melanesia 23.4 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
- Oilcrops, Oil Equivalent — Area harvested, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2024)
- Pulses, Total — Area harvested, annual growth rate -1.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Poultry Birds — Stocks, annual growth rate 1.96 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Oil Equivalent — Production, annual growth rate 0.1858 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Oil Equivalent — Yield, annual growth rate 1.24 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Cake Equivalent — Yield, annual growth rate 0.688 % change on previous year (2024)
- Milk, Total — Milk Animals, annual growth rate 1.12 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Cake Equivalent — Area harvested, annual growth rate -0.9631 % change on previous year (2024)
- Pulses, Total — Yield, annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Cake Equivalent — Production, annual growth rate -0.2985 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) was 19.8 % 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 Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
- The highest recorded value was 21 % in 2021.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.3 % in 2014.
- How does Least Developed Countries (LDCs) rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
- Least Developed Countries (LDCs) ranks 3rd out of 5 groups with data for 2025.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 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: 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.