Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished by country
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.
Countries reporting
122
Highest
63.1 percent
South Sudan
Lowest
0.5 percent
Russia
Median
4.95 percent
Years covered
9
2015–2023
Data points
1,042
What the numbers show
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished is currently reported for 122 countries. The highest value is 63.1 percent in South Sudan; the lowest is 0.5 percent in Russia.
The median across all reporting countries is 4.95 percent, and the mean is 9.57 percent.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 126.
Over the past decade 76 countries rose and 38 fell. The largest increase was in Pakistan (up 1,022.2%), and the largest decrease in Poland (down 72.2%).
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Sudan | 63.1 percent | 2023 | down 3.5% | flat |
| 2 | Malawi | 55.6 percent | 2023 | up 16.6% | rising |
| 3 | Haiti | 45.4 percent | 2023 | — | falling |
| 4 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 42.5 percent | 2023 | — | rising |
| 5 | Liberia | 37.1 percent | 2023 | down 3.9% | flat |
| 6 | Sierra Leone | 33.7 percent | 2023 | up 26.2% | rising |
| 7 | Afghanistan | 31 percent | 2023 | up 109.5% | rising |
| 8 | Namibia | 30 percent | 2023 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 9 | Kenya | 28.1 percent | 2023 | up 87.3% | rising |
| 10 | Jamaica | 27.8 percent | 2023 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 11 | Botswana | 26.1 percent | 2023 | up 41.8% | rising |
| 12 | Chad | 25.2 percent | 2023 | down 22.2% | falling |
| 13 | Zimbabwe | 25.1 percent | 2023 | down 29.3% | falling |
| 14 | Cameroon | 24.7 percent | 2023 | up 10.8% | flat |
| 14 | Lesotho | 24.7 percent | 2023 | down 8.5% | falling |
| 16 | Tanzania | 24.4 percent | 2023 | up 18.4% | rising |
| 17 | Nigeria | 24.3 percent | 2023 | up 120.9% | rising |
| 18 | Gambia | 21.7 percent | 2023 | down 8.1% | flat |
| 19 | Guatemala | 21.3 percent | 2023 | up 32.3% | rising |
| 20 | Ethiopia | 19 percent | 2023 | up 31.0% | rising |
| 21 | Dominican Republic | 17.9 percent | 2023 | down 26.3% | falling |
| 22 | Madagascar | 17.8 percent | 2023 | up 87.4% | rising |
| 23 | Libya | 17.2 percent | 2023 | up 53.6% | rising |
| 23 | Zambia | 17.2 percent | 2023 | down 23.2% | falling |
| 25 | Honduras | 15.4 percent | 2023 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 25 | El Salvador | 15.4 percent | 2023 | up 11.6% | rising |
| 27 | Benin | 15 percent | 2023 | up 44.2% | rising |
| 28 | Uganda | 14.9 percent | 2023 | down 30.7% | falling |
| 29 | Peru | 14.5 percent | 2023 | up 46.5% | rising |
| 30 | Mauritania | 13.1 percent | 2023 | up 184.8% | rising |
| 31 | Nepal | 12.8 percent | 2023 | up 23.1% | rising |
| 32 | Argentina | 12.3 percent | 2023 | up 112.1% | rising |
| 33 | Mauritius | 12.2 percent | 2023 | up 134.6% | rising |
| 34 | Egypt | 12 percent | 2023 | up 42.9% | rising |
| 35 | Ecuador | 11.9 percent | 2023 | up 98.3% | rising |
| 36 | Lebanon | 10.1 percent | 2023 | up 140.5% | rising |
| 36 | Pakistan | 10.1 percent | 2023 | up 1,022.2% | volatile |
| 38 | Togo | 9.9 percent | 2023 | down 38.5% | falling |
| 39 | Tunisia | 9.6 percent | 2023 | up 5.5% | rising |
| 40 | Ghana | 9.4 percent | 2023 | up 84.3% | rising |
| 41 | Guinea-Bissau | 9 percent | 2022 | up 8.4% | rising |
| 42 | South Africa | 8.5 percent | 2023 | up 23.2% | rising |
| 43 | Albania | 8.4 percent | 2023 | down 16.0% | falling |
| 43 | Cote d'Ivoire | 8.4 percent | 2023 | up 35.5% | rising |
| 45 | Niger | 7.6 percent | 2023 | down 24.0% | falling |
| 46 | Burkina Faso | 7.3 percent | 2023 | up 23.7% | rising |
| 47 | Myanmar | 7.2 percent | 2023 | — | rising |
| 48 | Romania | 7 percent | 2023 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 49 | Paraguay | 6.6 percent | 2022 | up 450.0% | rising |
| 50 | Palestine | 6.3 percent | 2023 | up 43.2% | rising |
| 51 | Georgia | 6.2 percent | 2023 | down 11.4% | flat |
| 52 | Cape Verde | 6.1 percent | 2023 | down 36.5% | falling |
| 53 | Iran | 5.9 percent | 2023 | down 37.9% | falling |
| 54 | Kiribati | 5.8 percent | 2023 | down 27.5% | falling |
| 54 | Malaysia | 5.8 percent | 2023 | down 25.6% | falling |
| 56 | Laos | 5.6 percent | 2023 | — | falling |
| 56 | Tajikistan | 5.6 percent | 2023 | up 14.3% | flat |
| 58 | Moldova | 5.4 percent | 2023 | up 237.5% | rising |
| 59 | Ukraine | 5.3 percent | 2023 | up 165.0% | rising |
| 60 | Uzbekistan | 5.2 percent | 2023 | up 173.7% | rising |
| 61 | Colombia | 5 percent | 2023 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 62 | Algeria | 4.9 percent | 2023 | down 62.3% | falling |
| 63 | Grenada | 4.7 percent | 2023 | down 43.4% | falling |
| 64 | Hungary | 4.5 percent | 2023 | up 221.4% | volatile |
| 64 | Samoa | 4.5 percent | 2023 | up 32.4% | rising |
| 66 | New Zealand | 4.3 percent | 2023 | up 53.6% | rising |
| 67 | Senegal | 4 percent | 2023 | down 46.7% | falling |
| 68 | Australia | 3.7 percent | 2023 | up 32.1% | rising |
| 69 | Chile | 3.6 percent | 2023 | up 24.1% | rising |
| 69 | Cambodia | 3.6 percent | 2023 | down 21.7% | falling |
| 71 | Singapore | 3.5 percent | 2023 | up 250.0% | volatile |
| 72 | Brazil | 3.4 percent | 2023 | up 385.7% | volatile |
| 72 | Kuwait | 3.4 percent | 2023 | down 30.6% | falling |
| 72 | North Macedonia | 3.4 percent | 2023 | down 5.6% | rising |
| 75 | United Kingdom | 3.3 percent | 2023 | up 73.7% | rising |
| 76 | Portugal | 3.1 percent | 2023 | down 24.4% | falling |
| 77 | Philippines | 3 percent | 2023 | down 6.2% | falling |
| 78 | Finland | 2.9 percent | 2023 | up 20.8% | rising |
| 78 | Mexico | 2.9 percent | 2023 | down 14.7% | falling |
| 80 | Costa Rica | 2.7 percent | 2023 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 80 | France | 2.7 percent | 2023 | up 68.8% | rising |
| 80 | Netherlands | 2.7 percent | 2023 | up 80.0% | rising |
| 80 | Uruguay | 2.7 percent | 2023 | up 58.8% | rising |
| 84 | Mali | 2.6 percent | 2023 | down 18.8% | falling |
| 85 | Sweden | 2.5 percent | 2023 | up 212.5% | rising |
| 86 | Belgium | 2.4 percent | 2023 | — | rising |
| 86 | Denmark | 2.4 percent | 2023 | up 140.0% | rising |
| 88 | Vietnam | 2.2 percent | 2023 | up 340.0% | volatile |
| 89 | Iceland | 2.1 percent | 2023 | up 23.5% | rising |
| 92 | Bulgaria | 2 percent | 2023 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 93 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1.9 percent | 2023 | up 26.7% | rising |
| 93 | Canada | 1.9 percent | 2023 | up 216.7% | rising |
| 93 | Latvia | 1.9 percent | 2023 | up 216.7% | volatile |
| 96 | Czechia | 1.8 percent | 2023 | up 157.1% | volatile |
| 97 | Montenegro | 1.6 percent | 2023 | down 23.8% | rising |
| 97 | Norway | 1.6 percent | 2023 | up 45.5% | rising |
| 99 | Austria | 1.5 percent | 2023 | up 36.4% | rising |
| 99 | Greece | 1.5 percent | 2023 | down 42.3% | falling |
| 99 | Serbia | 1.5 percent | 2023 | down 11.8% | rising |
| 102 | Spain | 1.4 percent | 2023 | up 27.3% | rising |
| 102 | Slovakia | 1.4 percent | 2023 | up 27.3% | rising |
| 104 | Azerbaijan | 1.3 percent | 2023 | up 160.0% | rising |
| 105 | Germany | 1.2 percent | 2023 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 105 | Lithuania | 1.2 percent | 2023 | down 52.0% | falling |
| 107 | Switzerland | 1.1 percent | 2023 | down 26.7% | falling |
| 107 | Estonia | 1.1 percent | 2023 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 107 | Japan | 1.1 percent | 2023 | up 120.0% | rising |
| 107 | Kyrgyzstan | 1.1 percent | 2022 | up 37.5% | rising |
| 107 | South Korea | 1.1 percent | 2023 | up 120.0% | rising |
| 107 | Sri Lanka | 1.1 percent | 2023 | up 57.1% | rising |
| 113 | Croatia | 1 percent | 2023 | up 66.7% | rising |
| 113 | United States | 1 percent | 2023 | down 9.1% | falling |
| 115 | Israel | 0.9 percent | 2023 | down 30.8% | falling |
| 115 | Slovenia | 0.9 percent | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 117 | Thailand | 0.8 percent | 2023 | up 14.3% | rising |
| 118 | Mongolia | 0.7 percent | 2023 | — | rising |
| 119 | Kazakhstan | 0.6 percent | 2023 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 121 | Armenia | 0.5 percent | 2023 | down 58.3% | falling |
| 121 | Belarus | 0.5 percent | 2023 | — | flat |
| 121 | Indonesia | 0.5 percent | 2023 | down 28.6% | falling |
| 121 | Poland | 0.5 percent | 2023 | down 72.2% | falling |
| 121 | Russia | 0.5 percent | 2023 | down 28.6% | falling |
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.