Number of people who are severely food insecure in New Zealand
New Zealand: Number of people who are severely food insecure was 200,000 people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of people who are severely food insecure in New Zealand, 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 severely food insecure in New Zealand stood at 200,000 people. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of up 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people who are severely food insecure in New Zealand peaked at 200,000 people in 2016 and was at its lowest, 100,000 people, in 2015.
That places New Zealand 81st out of 118 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Number of people who are severely food insecure in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 100,000 people | — |
| 2016 | 200,000 people | +100.0% |
| 2017 | 200,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 200,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 200,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 200,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 200,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 200,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 200,000 people | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 180,000 people | 100,000 people | 200,000 people | 5 |
| 2020s | 200,000 people | 200,000 people | 200,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 81 Albania 200,000 people compare
- 81 Czechia 200,000 people compare
- 81 Finland 200,000 people compare
- 81 Georgia 200,000 people compare
- 81 Greece 200,000 people compare
- 81 Guinea-Bissau 200,000 people compare
- 81 Kuwait 200,000 people compare
- 81 Mauritius 200,000 people compare
- 81 Moldova 200,000 people compare
- 81 Singapore 200,000 people compare
More reference data data for New Zealand
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4532 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0459 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 10.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.52 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 42.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 47.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2499 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people who are severely food insecure in New Zealand?
- Number of people who are severely food insecure in New Zealand was 200,000 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 severely food insecure recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 200,000 people in 2016.
- What is the lowest number of people who are severely food insecure recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 100,000 people in 2015.
- How does New Zealand rank for number of people who are severely food insecure?
- New Zealand ranks 81st out of 118 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people who are severely food insecure rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand 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 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
Severe food insecurity is defined by the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). It is strongly related to insufficient quantity of food (energy).