Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Brazil

Brazil: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished was 3.4 percent in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
3.4 percent
Change on year
down 48.5%
World rank
72nd
of 125 countries
All-time high
8.5 percent
in 2021
All-time low
0.7 percent
in 2015
Years of data
9
2015–2023

Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Brazil, 2015–2023

024682015201920232015: 0.7 percent2016: 0.7 percent2017: 0.9 percent2018: 1.1 percent2019: 3.1 percent2020: 6.3 percent2021: 8.5 percent2022: 6.6 percent2023: 3.4 percent

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in percent.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Brazil is 3.4 percent, measured in 2023.

The figure is down 48.5% on the previous year and up 385.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Brazil peaked at 8.5 percent in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.7 percent, in 2015.

That places Brazil 72nd out of 125 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 1.3 percent 0.7 percent 3.1 percent 5
2020s 6.2 percent 3.4 percent 8.5 percent 4

Countries ranked near Brazil

  1. 69 Cambodia 3.6 percent compare
  2. 69 Chile 3.6 percent compare
  3. 71 Singapore 3.5 percent compare
  4. 72 Kuwait 3.4 percent compare
  5. 72 North Macedonia 3.4 percent compare
  6. 75 United Kingdom 3.3 percent compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More reference data data for Brazil

All data for Brazil →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Brazil?
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Brazil was 3.4 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 the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Brazil?
The highest recorded value was 8.5 percent in 2021.
What is the lowest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Brazil?
The lowest recorded value was 0.7 percent in 2015.
How does Brazil rank for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
Brazil ranks 72nd out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished rising or falling in Brazil?
Over the last ten years it is up 385.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Brazil 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished
Unit
percent
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
125 places, 1,042 data points, 2015–2023
Last refreshed

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.