Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Malaysia
Malaysia: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished was 5.8 percent in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Malaysia, 2015–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in percent.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 5.8 percent for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
The figure is down 25.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Malaysia peaked at 7.8 percent in 2015 and was at its lowest, 5.8 percent, in 2022.
That places Malaysia 54th out of 125 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6.9 percent | 6.6 percent | 7.8 percent | 5 |
| 2020s | 5.97 percent | 5.8 percent | 6.3 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More reference data data for Malaysia
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.3171 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.4881 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0702 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2047 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.4538 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 134.6 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 Malaysia?
- Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Malaysia was 5.8 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.8 percent in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8 percent in 2022.
- How does Malaysia rank for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
- Malaysia ranks 54th out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.