Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Australia
Australia: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished was 3.7 percent in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Australia, 2015–2023
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 the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Australia stood at 3.7 percent.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.9% on the previous year and up 32.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Australia peaked at 4.2 percent in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.8 percent, in 2015.
Australia ranks 68th of 125 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 3.38 percent | 2.8 percent | 3.8 percent | 5 |
| 2020s | 3.73 percent | 3.4 percent | 4.2 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More reference data data for Australia
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- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8615 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.13 °C (2026)
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- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.0026 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.4713 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 148.46 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Australia?
- Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Australia was 3.7 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 the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.2 percent in 2022.
- What is the lowest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.8 percent in 2015.
- How does Australia rank for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
- Australia ranks 68th out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia 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 the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished. 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
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.