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

Western Africa: Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value was 16.9 % in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
16.9 %
Change on year
up 3.0%
Rank
8th
of 28 groups
All-time high
16.9 %
in 2023
All-time low
11.6 %
in 2008
Years of data
24
2000–2023

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

0510152000201120232000: 14.2 %2001: 13.8 %2002: 13.4 %2003: 13.1 %2004: 12.8 %2005: 12.5 %2006: 12.1 %2007: 11.8 %2008: 11.6 %2009: 11.8 %2010: 12.1 %2011: 12.4 %2012: 12.3 %2013: 12.1 %2014: 11.8 %2015: 11.6 %2016: 11.8 %2017: 11.8 %2018: 12.5 %2019: 13.2 %2020: 14.4 %2021: 15.4 %2022: 16.4 %2023: 16.9 %

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

Analysis

Western Africa recorded 16.9 % for prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

The figure is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 39.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value in Western Africa peaked at 16.9 % in 2023 and was at its lowest, 11.6 %, in 2008.

That places Western Africa 8th out of 28 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

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

Annual values for Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value in Western Africa, 2000 to 2023.
Year % Change
2000 14.2 %
2001 13.8 % -2.8%
2002 13.4 % -2.9%
2003 13.1 % -2.2%
2004 12.8 % -2.3%
2005 12.5 % -2.3%
2006 12.1 % -3.2%
2007 11.8 % -2.5%
2008 11.6 % -1.7%
2009 11.8 % +1.7%
2010 12.1 % +2.5%
2011 12.4 % +2.5%
2012 12.3 % -0.8%
2013 12.1 % -1.6%
2014 11.8 % -2.5%
2015 11.6 % -1.7%
2016 11.8 % +1.7%
2017 11.8 % +0.0%
2018 12.5 % +5.9%
2019 13.2 % +5.6%
2020 14.4 % +9.1%
2021 15.4 % +6.9%
2022 16.4 % +6.5%
2023 16.9 % +3.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 12.71 % 11.6 % 14.2 % 10
2010s 12.16 % 11.6 % 13.2 % 10
2020s 15.77 % 14.4 % 16.9 % 4

Countries ranked near Western Africa

  1. 5 Liberia 37.3 % compare
  2. 5 Melanesia 27.4 % compare
  3. 6 Kenya 34.9 % compare
  4. 7 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 19.5 % compare
  5. 7 Chad 33.6 % compare
  6. 8 Papua New Guinea 30.5 % compare
  7. 8 United Republic of Tanzania 19.1 % compare
  8. 9 Central African Republic 29.8 % compare
  9. 9 Timor-Leste 16.9 % compare
  10. 10 Afghanistan 27.8 % compare
  11. 11 Lao People's Democratic Republic 10 % compare
  12. 11 Solomon Islands 27 % compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Western Africa

All data for Western Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value in Western Africa?
Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value in Western Africa was 16.9 % 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 Western Africa?
The highest recorded value was 16.9 % in 2023.
What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value recorded in Western Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 11.6 % in 2008.
How does Western Africa rank for prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value?
Western Africa ranks 8th out of 28 groups with data for 2023.
Is prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value rising or falling in Western Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 39.7%. 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 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 Western Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-undernourishment-percent-3-year-average-value/western-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.