Ethiopia vs Zambia: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished over time
- Ethiopia
- Zambia
How they compare
Ethiopia currently reports 19 percent against 17.2 percent in Zambia, a difference of 1.8 percent.
That makes Ethiopia's figure about 1.1 times Zambia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 9 shared years of data; in 2015 it was Zambia ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 20th and Zambia ranks 23rd of 125 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 1 and Zambia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 14.96 percent | 23.56 percent | 8.6 percent | Zambia |
| 2020s | 19.85 percent | 19.57 percent | 0.275 percent | Ethiopia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished, Ethiopia or Zambia?
- Ethiopia, at 19 percent against 17.2 percent in Zambia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished between Ethiopia and Zambia?
- 1.8 percent, with Ethiopia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and Zambia?
- 9 years are reported by both, from 2015 to 2023.
- How do Ethiopia and Zambia rank globally for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
- Ethiopia ranks 20th and Zambia ranks 23rd of 125 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 Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Both metrics indicate that someone does not get enough food (in terms of calories) to eat: these metrics should be strongly correlated. Severe food insecurity is measured based on food security questionnaires among households. Undernourishment is based on estimates of actual calorie intake across the population.