Madagascar vs South Africa: Number of people who are severely food insecure
Madagascar
5.60 million people
in 2023
South Africa
5.40 million people
in 2023
Madagascar rank
14th
South Africa rank
16th
Number of people who are severely food insecure over time
- Madagascar
- South Africa
How they compare
Madagascar currently reports 5.60 million people against 5.40 million people in South Africa, a difference of 200,000 people.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 6 shared years of data; in 2018 it was South Africa ahead.
Madagascar ranks 14th and South Africa ranks 16th of 118 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Madagascar | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 2.70 million people | 4.25 million people | 1.55 million people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 4.17 million people | 5.17 million people | 1.00 million people | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of people who are severely food insecure, Madagascar or South Africa?
- Madagascar, at 5.60 million people against 5.40 million people in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in number of people who are severely food insecure between Madagascar and South Africa?
- 200,000 people, with Madagascar ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Madagascar and South Africa?
- 6 years are reported by both, from 2018 to 2023.
- How do Madagascar and South Africa rank globally for number of people who are severely food insecure?
- Madagascar ranks 14th and South Africa ranks 16th of 118 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Number of people who are severely food insecure. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Severe food insecurity is defined by the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). It is strongly related to insufficient quantity of food (energy).