Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Libya
Libya: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished was 17.2 percent in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Libya, 2015–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in percent.
Analysis
Libya recorded 17.2 percent for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in 2023.
The figure is down 13.6% on the previous year and up 53.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Libya peaked at 21.2 percent in 2021 and was at its lowest, 11.2 percent, in 2015.
That places Libya 23rd out of 125 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 14.64 percent | 11.2 percent | 18.6 percent | 5 |
| 2020s | 19.75 percent | 17.2 percent | 21.2 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near Libya
- 20 Ethiopia 19 percent compare
- 21 Dominican Republic 17.9 percent compare
- 22 Madagascar 17.8 percent compare
- 23 Zambia 17.2 percent compare
- 25 El Salvador 15.4 percent compare
- 25 Honduras 15.4 percent compare
More reference data data for Libya
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.1917 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.4458 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 2.51 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies -0.0933 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.15 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 289.41 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (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 Libya?
- Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Libya was 17.2 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 Libya?
- The highest recorded value was 21.2 percent in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Libya?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.2 percent in 2015.
- How does Libya rank for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
- Libya ranks 23rd out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished rising or falling in Libya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 53.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Libya 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.