Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in South Korea
South Korea: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished was 1.1 percent in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in South Korea, 2015–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in percent.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 1.1 percent for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in 2023. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 22.2% on the previous year and up 120.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in South Korea peaked at 1.1 percent in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.5 percent, in 2015.
South Korea ranks 107th of 125 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 0.52 percent | 0.5 percent | 0.6 percent | 5 |
| 2020s | 0.875 percent | 0.7 percent | 1.1 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More reference data data for South Korea
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.1 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7164 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.8996 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.24 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9115 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 135 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 South Korea?
- Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in South Korea was 1.1 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1.1 percent in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5 percent in 2015.
- How does South Korea rank for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
- South Korea ranks 107th out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 120.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea 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.