Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — Value in South America
South America: Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — Value was 3.5 % in 2025. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — Value in South America, 2000–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — value in South America stood at 3.5 %. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is down 5.4% on the previous year and down 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — value in South America peaked at 11.2 % in 2002 and was at its lowest, 3.5 %, in 2014.
South America ranks 22nd of 26 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — Value in South America, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 10.7 % | — |
| 2001 | 10.5 % | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 11.2 % | +6.7% |
| 2003 | 9.4 % | -16.1% |
| 2004 | 8.8 % | -6.4% |
| 2005 | 8 % | -9.1% |
| 2006 | 7.3 % | -8.8% |
| 2007 | 6.5 % | -11.0% |
| 2008 | 5.6 % | -13.8% |
| 2009 | 5.4 % | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 5 % | -7.4% |
| 2011 | 4.6 % | -8.0% |
| 2012 | 4.3 % | -6.5% |
| 2013 | 3.9 % | -9.3% |
| 2014 | 3.5 % | -10.3% |
| 2015 | 3.8 % | +8.6% |
| 2016 | 5.1 % | +34.2% |
| 2017 | 4.7 % | -7.8% |
| 2018 | 4.9 % | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 4.6 % | -6.1% |
| 2020 | 5.5 % | +19.6% |
| 2021 | 5.2 % | -5.5% |
| 2022 | 4.6 % | -11.5% |
| 2023 | 4.2 % | -8.7% |
| 2024 | 3.7 % | -11.9% |
| 2025 | 3.5 % | -5.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.34 % | 5.4 % | 11.2 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.44 % | 3.5 % | 5.1 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.45 % | 3.5 % | 5.5 % | 6 |
More agriculture & rural data for South America
- Pulses, Total — Production, annual growth rate 0.9882 % change on previous year (2024)
- Pulses, Total — Yield, annual growth rate -4.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Pulses, Total — Area harvested, annual growth rate 6.13 % change on previous year (2024)
- Poultry Birds — Stocks, annual growth rate 1.8 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Oil Equivalent — Production, annual growth rate 7.44 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Oil Equivalent — Yield, annual growth rate 3.1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Oil Equivalent — Area harvested, annual growth rate 4.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Edible offal of pigs, fresh, chilled or frozen — Production, annual 1.86 % change on previous year (2024)
- Swine / pigs — Stocks, annual growth rate 1.45 % change on previous year (2024)
- Meat of pig with the bone, fresh or chilled — Producing 2.44 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — value in South America?
- Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — value in South America was 3.5 % in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — value recorded in South America?
- The highest recorded value was 11.2 % in 2002.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — value recorded in South America?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.5 % in 2014.
- How does South America rank for prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — value?
- South America ranks 22nd out of 26 groups with data for 2025.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — value rising or falling in South America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South America data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (percent) (annual value) — 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.