Share of people who are undernourished in Congo
Congo: Share of people who are undernourished was 26.4 percent in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
26.4 percent
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
14th
of 169 countries
All-time high
40.5 percent
in 2011
All-time low
25.9 percent
in 2002
Years of data
23
2001–2023
Share of people who are undernourished in Congo, 2001–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in percent.
Analysis
In 2023, share of people who are undernourished in Congo stood at 26.4 percent.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 19.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of people who are undernourished in Congo peaked at 40.5 percent in 2011 and was at its lowest, 25.9 percent, in 2002.
Congo ranks 14th of 169 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Share of people who are undernourished in Congo, year by year
| Year | percent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 26.3 percent | — |
| 2002 | 25.9 percent | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 26 percent | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 27.2 percent | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 28.4 percent | +4.4% |
| 2006 | 30.5 percent | +7.4% |
| 2007 | 32.6 percent | +6.9% |
| 2008 | 34.9 percent | +7.1% |
| 2009 | 37.7 percent | +8.0% |
| 2010 | 40.4 percent | +7.2% |
| 2011 | 40.5 percent | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 37.4 percent | -7.7% |
| 2013 | 32.7 percent | -12.6% |
| 2014 | 29.6 percent | -9.5% |
| 2015 | 29.4 percent | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 29.6 percent | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 30.2 percent | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 29.7 percent | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 29 percent | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 27.7 percent | -4.5% |
| 2021 | 27.2 percent | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 26.8 percent | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 26.4 percent | -1.5% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 26.4 percent is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12 percent, 2.2× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Congo's 26.4 percent is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.7 percent, 1.3× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.94 percent | 25.9 percent | 37.7 percent | 9 |
| 2010s | 32.85 percent | 29 percent | 40.5 percent | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.02 percent | 26.4 percent | 27.7 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near Congo
- 11 Central African Republic 29.8 percent compare
- 12 Papua New Guinea 28.7 percent compare
- 13 Afghanistan 28.1 percent compare
- 15 Gabon 25.3 percent compare
- 16 Rwanda 24.4 percent compare
- 17 Sierra Leone 24.1 percent compare
More reference data data for Congo
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0199 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1866 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2108 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0031 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.2108 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0668 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0724 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9126 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.017 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of people who are undernourished in Congo?
- Share of people who are undernourished in Congo was 26.4 percent 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 share of people who are undernourished recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 40.5 percent in 2011.
- What is the lowest share of people who are undernourished recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.9 percent in 2002.
- How does Congo rank for share of people who are undernourished?
- Congo ranks 14th out of 169 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of people who are undernourished rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Congo 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 Share of people who are undernourished. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population whose daily food intake does not provide enough energy to maintain a normal, active, and healthy life.