Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value in Western Asia and Northern Africa
Western Asia and Northern Africa: Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value was 11.3 % in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value in Western Asia and Northern Africa, 2000–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value in Western Asia and Northern Africa stood at 11.3 %.
That represents a change of up 4.6% on the previous year and up 56.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value in Western Asia and Northern Africa peaked at 13.4 % in 2000 and was at its lowest, 6.3 %, in 2008.
That places Western Asia and Northern Africa 14th out of 28 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — Value in Western Asia and Northern Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 13.4 % | — |
| 2001 | 13.4 % | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 12.9 % | -3.7% |
| 2003 | 11.9 % | -7.8% |
| 2004 | 10.2 % | -14.3% |
| 2005 | 8.8 % | -13.7% |
| 2006 | 7.6 % | -13.6% |
| 2007 | 6.8 % | -10.5% |
| 2008 | 6.3 % | -7.4% |
| 2009 | 6.3 % | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6.4 % | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 6.7 % | +4.7% |
| 2012 | 6.9 % | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 7.2 % | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 7.7 % | +6.9% |
| 2015 | 8.1 % | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 8.4 % | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 8.4 % | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 8.6 % | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 9 % | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 9.5 % | +5.6% |
| 2021 | 10.2 % | +7.4% |
| 2022 | 10.8 % | +5.9% |
| 2023 | 11.3 % | +4.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.76 % | 6.3 % | 13.4 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.74 % | 6.4 % | 9 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.45 % | 9.5 % | 11.3 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near Western Asia and Northern Africa
- 11 Lao People's Democratic Republic 10 % compare
- 11 Solomon Islands 27 % compare
- 12 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 6.7 % compare
- 12 Sierra Leone 25.3 % compare
- 13 Congo 25 % compare
- 13 Côte d'Ivoire 11.4 % compare
- 14 Malawi 24.5 % compare
- 14 Viet Nam 6.1 % compare
- 15 Gabon 23.3 % compare
- 15 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 5.3 % compare
- 16 Sao Tome and Principe 23 % compare
- 16 Türkiye 3.1 % compare
- 17 Rwanda 22.6 % compare
- 17 Polynesia 2.9 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Western Asia and Northern Africa
- Minimum dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 1,828 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Average dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 2,365 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Per capita food supply variability (kcal/cap/day) — Value 25 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Prevalence of obesity in the adult population (18 years and older) 31.6 % (2024)
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are overweight 7.4 % (2024)
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) 18.1 % (2024)
- Gross domestic product per capita, PPP, (constant 2021 international) 23,360 Int$/cap (2024)
- Percentage of population using at least basic sanitation services 91 % (2024)
- Number of obese adults (18 years and older) (million) — Value 119 million No (2024)
- Dietary energy supply used in the estimation of the prevalence of 3,028 kcal/cap/d (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value in Western Asia and Northern Africa was 11.3 % 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 Asia and Northern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 13.4 % in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value recorded in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.3 % in 2008.
- How does Western Asia and Northern Africa rank for prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value?
- Western Asia and Northern Africa ranks 14th out of 28 groups with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (3-year average) — value rising or falling in Western Asia and Northern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 56.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Western Asia and Northern 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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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.