Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Iran
Iran: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished was 5.9 percent in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Iran, 2015–2023
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 Iran is 5.9 percent, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.8% on the previous year and down 37.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Iran peaked at 9.5 percent in 2015 and was at its lowest, 5.9 percent, in 2023.
That places Iran 53rd out of 125 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Iran, year by year
| Year | percent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 9.5 percent | — |
| 2016 | 9.3 percent | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 8.7 percent | -6.5% |
| 2018 | 8.4 percent | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 8.7 percent | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 7.7 percent | -11.5% |
| 2021 | 7.4 percent | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 6.4 percent | -13.5% |
| 2023 | 5.9 percent | -7.8% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 5.9 percent is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5 percent, 1.2× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Iran's 5.9 percent is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 7.95 percent, 74% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 8.92 percent | 8.4 percent | 9.5 percent | 5 |
| 2020s | 6.85 percent | 5.9 percent | 7.7 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More reference data data for Iran
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 26.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 26.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 8.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Enteric Fermentation 35,629 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Crop Residues 1,936 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Direct emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 34.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Burning - Crop residues 281.19 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Iran?
- Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Iran was 5.9 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 Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 9.5 percent in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.9 percent in 2023.
- How does Iran rank for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
- Iran ranks 53rd out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran 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.