Statizoid

Number of people who are severely food insecure by country

Severe food insecurity is defined by the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). It is strongly related to insufficient quantity of food (energy).

Countries reporting
118
Highest
55.30 million people
Nigeria
Lowest
100,000 people
Samoa
Median
700,000 people
Years covered
9
2015–2023
Data points
973

What the numbers show

Number of people who are severely food insecure is currently reported for 118 countries. The highest value is 55.30 million people in Nigeria; the lowest is 100,000 people in Samoa.

The median across all reporting countries is 700,000 people, and the mean is 3.24 million people.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 553.

Over the past decade 61 countries rose and 20 fell. The largest increase was in Pakistan (up 1,150.0%), and the largest decrease in Poland (down 57.1%).

Number of people who are severely food insecure: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Nigeria 55.30 million people 2023 up 162.1% rising
2 Democratic Republic of Congo 45.00 million people 2023 — rising
3 Pakistan 25.00 million people 2023 up 1,150.0% volatile
4 Ethiopia 24.50 million people 2023 up 62.3% rising
5 Tanzania 16.20 million people 2023 up 51.4% rising
6 Kenya 15.50 million people 2023 up 118.3% rising
7 Egypt 13.80 million people 2023 up 64.3% rising
8 Afghanistan 12.90 million people 2023 up 158.0% rising
9 Malawi 11.70 million people 2023 up 42.7% rising
10 Uganda 7.30 million people 2023 down 9.9% falling
11 South Sudan 7.20 million people 2023 up 5.9% rising
12 Brazil 7.10 million people 2023 up 373.3% volatile
13 Cameroon 7.00 million people 2023 up 37.3% rising
14 Argentina 5.60 million people 2023 up 124.0% rising
14 Madagascar 5.60 million people 2023 up 115.4% rising
16 South Africa 5.40 million people 2023 up 31.7% rising
17 Haiti 5.30 million people 2023 — flat
17 Iran 5.30 million people 2023 down 32.9% falling
19 Peru 4.90 million people 2023 up 63.3% rising
19 Chad 4.90 million people 2023 up 4.3% falling
21 Zimbabwe 4.10 million people 2023 down 19.6% falling
22 Guatemala 3.90 million people 2023 up 50.0% rising
22 Myanmar 3.90 million people 2023 — rising
24 Mexico 3.80 million people 2023 down 9.5% falling
24 Nepal 3.80 million people 2023 up 31.0% rising
26 Zambia 3.60 million people 2023 down 2.7% falling
27 Philippines 3.50 million people 2023 unchanged falling
28 United States 3.30 million people 2023 down 5.7% falling
29 Ghana 3.20 million people 2023 up 113.3% rising
30 Sierra Leone 2.80 million people 2023 up 47.4% rising
31 Cote d'Ivoire 2.60 million people 2023 up 62.5% rising
31 Colombia 2.60 million people 2023 up 13.0% rising
33 Algeria 2.30 million people 2023 down 55.8% falling
33 United Kingdom 2.30 million people 2023 up 91.7% rising
33 Vietnam 2.30 million people 2023 — volatile
36 Benin 2.10 million people 2023 up 75.0% rising
36 Ecuador 2.10 million people 2023 up 110.0% rising
36 Ukraine 2.10 million people 2023 up 133.3% rising
39 Dominican Republic 2.00 million people 2023 down 20.0% falling
39 Liberia 2.00 million people 2023 up 11.1% rising
39 Malaysia 2.00 million people 2023 down 16.7% falling
39 Niger 2.00 million people 2023 down 4.8% falling
43 Uzbekistan 1.90 million people 2023 up 216.7% rising
44 France 1.80 million people 2023 up 80.0% rising
45 Burkina Faso 1.70 million people 2023 up 41.7% rising
46 Honduras 1.60 million people 2023 up 23.1% rising
47 Japan 1.30 million people 2023 up 85.7% rising
47 Libya 1.30 million people 2023 up 85.7% rising
47 Romania 1.30 million people 2023 up 18.2% rising
50 Tunisia 1.20 million people 2023 up 20.0% rising
51 Australia 1.00 million people 2023 up 42.9% rising
51 Germany 1.00 million people 2023 up 25.0% rising
51 El Salvador 1.00 million people 2023 up 11.1% rising
54 Namibia 900,000 people 2023 up 28.6% rising
54 Togo 900,000 people 2023 down 25.0% falling
56 Jamaica 800,000 people 2023 up 14.3% rising
57 Canada 700,000 people 2023 up 250.0% rising
57 Chile 700,000 people 2023 up 40.0% rising
57 Spain 700,000 people 2023 up 40.0% rising
57 Mauritania 700,000 people 2023 up 250.0% rising
57 Senegal 700,000 people 2023 down 36.4% falling
62 Botswana 600,000 people 2023 up 50.0% rising
62 Gambia 600,000 people 2023 up 20.0% rising
62 Cambodia 600,000 people 2023 down 14.3% rising
62 South Korea 600,000 people 2023 — rising
62 Lebanon 600,000 people 2023 up 200.0% rising
62 Lesotho 600,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
62 Mali 600,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
62 Thailand 600,000 people 2023 up 20.0% rising
62 Tajikistan 600,000 people 2023 up 50.0% rising
71 Netherlands 500,000 people 2023 up 66.7% rising
72 Hungary 400,000 people 2023 up 300.0% volatile
72 Laos 400,000 people 2023 — falling
72 Paraguay 400,000 people 2022 up 300.0% rising
75 Belgium 300,000 people 2023 — rising
75 Sri Lanka 300,000 people 2023 up 200.0% rising
75 Poland 300,000 people 2022 down 57.1% falling
75 Portugal 300,000 people 2023 down 25.0% falling
75 Palestine 300,000 people 2023 up 50.0% rising
75 Sweden 300,000 people 2023 up 200.0% rising
81 Albania 200,000 people 2023 down 33.3% falling
81 Czechia 200,000 people 2023 up 100.0% rising
81 Finland 200,000 people 2023 up 100.0% rising
81 Georgia 200,000 people 2023 down 33.3% flat
81 Guinea-Bissau 200,000 people 2022 unchanged flat
81 Greece 200,000 people 2023 down 33.3% falling
81 Kuwait 200,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
81 Moldova 200,000 people 2023 up 100.0% rising
81 Mauritius 200,000 people 2023 up 100.0% rising
81 New Zealand 200,000 people 2023 up 100.0% rising
81 Singapore 200,000 people 2023 up 100.0% rising
92 Austria 100,000 people 2023 unchanged rising
92 Bulgaria 100,000 people 2023 unchanged rising
92 Bosnia and Herzegovina 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Switzerland 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Cape Verde 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Costa Rica 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Denmark 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Estonia 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Grenada 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Croatia 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Ireland 100,000 people 2023 down 50.0% falling
92 Iceland 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Israel 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Kyrgyzstan 100,000 people 2022 unchanged flat
92 Kiribati 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Lithuania 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Luxembourg 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Latvia 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 North Macedonia 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Malta 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Montenegro 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Norway 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Serbia 100,000 people 2023 down 50.0% rising
92 Slovakia 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Slovenia 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Uruguay 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat
92 Samoa 100,000 people 2023 unchanged flat

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Number of people who are severely food insecure by country. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-people-severely-food-insecure/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of people who are severely food insecure
Unit
people
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
118 places, 973 data points, 2015–2023
Last refreshed

Severe food insecurity is defined by the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). It is strongly related to insufficient quantity of food (energy).