Number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure in Namibia
Namibia: Number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure was 1.70 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure in Namibia, 2015–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2023, number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure in Namibia stood at 1.70 million people. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.2% on the previous year and up 30.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure in Namibia peaked at 1.70 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.30 million people, in 2015.
Namibia ranks 72nd of 126 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure in Namibia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 1.30 million people | — |
| 2016 | 1.30 million people | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.40 million people | +7.7% |
| 2018 | 1.50 million people | +7.1% |
| 2019 | 1.50 million people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.60 million people | +6.7% |
| 2021 | 1.60 million people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.60 million people | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 1.70 million people | +6.2% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 1.70 million people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8.70 million people, 20% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 1.70 million people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.80 million people, 17% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.40 million people | 1.30 million people | 1.50 million people | 5 |
| 2020s | 1.62 million people | 1.60 million people | 1.70 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More reference data data for Namibia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0579 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.52 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0157 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1306 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.82 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0853 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure in Namibia?
- Number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure in Namibia was 1.70 million people in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.70 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.30 million people in 2015.
- How does Namibia rank for number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure?
- Namibia ranks 72nd out of 126 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people who are moderately or severely food insecure. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Food insecurity is defined by the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). Moderate food insecurity is associated with the inability to regularly eat healthy, nutritious diets. Severe food insecurity is related to insufficient quantity of food.