Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Low-income economies
Low-income economies: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 27.3 % in 2025. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Low-income economies, 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 Low-income economies stood at 27.3 %. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 25.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Low-income economies peaked at 27.3 % in 2025 and was at its lowest, 21.4 %, in 2014.
Low-income economies ranks 1st of 34 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
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 Low-income economies, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 21.4 % | — |
| 2015 | 21.7 % | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 23 % | +6.0% |
| 2017 | 23.4 % | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 23.8 % | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 23.1 % | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 24.7 % | +6.9% |
| 2021 | 25.2 % | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 25.6 % | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 26.3 % | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 26.9 % | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 27.3 % | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 22.73 % | 21.4 % | 23.8 % | 6 |
| 2020s | 26 % | 24.7 % | 27.3 % | 6 |
Countries ranked near Low-income economies
- 1 Australia and New Zealand 4.4 % compare
- 2 Melanesia 23.4 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Low-income economies
- Average dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 2,210 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Minimum dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 1,715 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Per capita food supply variability (kcal/cap/day) — Value 13 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) 10.1 % (2024)
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight 3.5 % (2024)
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) 35.8 % (2024)
- Gross domestic product per capita, PPP, (constant 2021 international) 2,253 Int$/cap (2024)
- Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value 39.8 million No (2024)
- Dietary energy supply used in the estimation of the prevalence of 2,263 kcal/cap/d (2024)
- Prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) 35.7 % (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Low-income economies?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Low-income economies was 27.3 % 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 Low-income economies?
- The highest recorded value was 27.3 % in 2025.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Low-income economies?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.4 % in 2014.
- How does Low-income economies rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
- Low-income economies ranks 1st out of 34 groups with data for 2025.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Low-income economies?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Low-income economies 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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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.