Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value in Africa

Africa: Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value was 20.1 % in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
20.1 %
Change on year
up 1.5%
Rank
6th
of 28 groups
All-time high
21.5 %
in 2000
All-time low
15.7 %
in 2012
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value in Africa, 2000–2023

051015202000201120232000: 21.5 %2001: 21 %2002: 20.6 %2003: 19.9 %2004: 19 %2005: 18.1 %2006: 17.3 %2007: 16.7 %2008: 16.2 %2009: 15.9 %2010: 15.9 %2011: 15.8 %2012: 15.7 %2013: 15.8 %2014: 16.2 %2015: 16.6 %2016: 16.9 %2017: 17.1 %2018: 17.6 %2019: 18.2 %2020: 18.7 %2021: 19.3 %2022: 19.8 %2023: 20.1 %

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value in Africa is 20.1 %, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 27.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value in Africa peaked at 21.5 % in 2000 and was at its lowest, 15.7 %, in 2012.

Africa ranks 6th of 28 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value in Africa, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value in Africa, 2000 to 2023.
Year % Change
2000 21.5 %
2001 21 % -2.3%
2002 20.6 % -1.9%
2003 19.9 % -3.4%
2004 19 % -4.5%
2005 18.1 % -4.7%
2006 17.3 % -4.4%
2007 16.7 % -3.5%
2008 16.2 % -3.0%
2009 15.9 % -1.9%
2010 15.9 % +0.0%
2011 15.8 % -0.6%
2012 15.7 % -0.6%
2013 15.8 % +0.6%
2014 16.2 % +2.5%
2015 16.6 % +2.5%
2016 16.9 % +1.8%
2017 17.1 % +1.2%
2018 17.6 % +2.9%
2019 18.2 % +3.4%
2020 18.7 % +2.7%
2021 19.3 % +3.2%
2022 19.8 % +2.6%
2023 20.1 % +1.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 18.62 % 15.9 % 21.5 % 10
2010s 16.58 % 15.7 % 18.2 % 10
2020s 19.48 % 18.7 % 20.1 % 4

Countries ranked near Africa

  1. 3 Democratic Republic of the Congo 39.5 % compare
  2. 3 Madagascar 41.8 % compare
  3. 4 Zambia 41 % compare
  4. 5 Liberia 37.3 % compare
  5. 6 Kenya 34.9 % compare
  6. 7 Chad 33.6 % compare
  7. 8 Papua New Guinea 30.5 % compare
  8. 9 Central African Republic 29.8 % compare
  9. 9 Timor-Leste 16.9 % compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Africa

All data for Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value in Africa?
Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value in Africa was 20.1 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value recorded in Africa?
The highest recorded value was 21.5 % in 2000.
What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value recorded in Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 15.7 % in 2012.
How does Africa rank for prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value?
Africa ranks 6th out of 28 groups with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value rising or falling in Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 27.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value in Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-undernourishment-percent-3-year-average-value/africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
162 places, 3,538 data points, 2000–2023
Last refreshed

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.